Active Duty
by liz1967
Summary: When the Head of MI6 is called into active duty, it is up to 007 to keep an eye on her in more ways than one.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a little Idea I had while sitting at the doctors office. See what happens when my mind is allowed to wander.**

"Whatever it is, It is not my fault, I didn't do it!" said James rather defensively as he sat next to M waiting to be called into Mallory's office

"No one said you did" replied M, slightly annoyed by is comment

"Then why do you suppose we have been summoned here at this unholy hour by himself the elf?"

"I have no idea." she replied with an edge to her voice "It isn't as if we've had any missions that have gone balls up lately, in fact, things have been relatively quiet as of late"

"Well it's probably pretty safe to say that we're not being fired. He could have just as easily done that in your office" he quipped "Maybe we're being promoted"

"I highly doubt it" snapped M as her patience was beginning to wear a little thin

"Then what do you suppose he wants?"

"007, do stop asking me the same question over and over again, I've already told you I DON"T KNOW"

"Well it must be pretty big to..."

"007, One more word out of you and I'll put you on desk duty for a month" she said glaring at him

"Ok...Ok I get it" he replied as he fidgeted in his chair

"Are you nervous?"he asked as he studied her face for some sort of reaction

"Not especially...Why. should I be?"

"No"

"007...for the remainder of our wait do you suppose that it would be possible to practice your right to remain silent?" she asked sarcastically

"As you wish Ma'am" he replied with a grin

The clock on the wall almost seemed as though it wasn't working at all as the time was passing ever so slowly. It had been almost an hour before Mallory's secretary finally came to collect them.

"Mr. Bond, M..he's ready to see you now" she said as she motioned to the door

"It's about time" said M under her breath as James followed along behind her into the office, closing the door behind them. He knew M well enough to know that she had one hell of a poker face, but he could tell that underneath, she was apprehensive about this meeting.

"M...007...Thank you for coming on such short notice" said Mallory as he motioned to the chairs across from him

"Good Morning Sir" replied James

"I'll come straight to the point. A situation has come up and I was hoping that you might be able to enlighten me as to the details" said Mallory as he looked directly at M "Does the name Anton Mirrinov mean anything to you?"

M sat in silence staring back at Mallory with a rather curious look on her face.

"Your silence speaks volumes" replied Mallory as he stared back at her

"It's just that I haven't heard that name in a very long time" she said quietly "Why do you ask?"

"Because apparently he is back on the radar, so to speak"

"He must be at least 80 years old by now" said M

"81 to be exact"

"So just what makes this a problem? He's an 81 year old ex-KGB agent, a true relic of the cold war" she said bluntly

"He has information, and he's willing to share...for a price"

"Oh this ought to be good...What's he asking for this time? the crown jewels?"

"No" replied Mallory as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair "He wants you"

"HE wants WHAT?" said James with a hint of both panic and disbelief in his voice

"You heard me, He will only talk to M"

"Well, that's bloody well out of the question" snapped James angrily

"What does he want with me? I'm not an agent anymore" said M sounding slightly confused

"Who knows, Perhaps he wants to reminisce about the "good old days", the point is he wants you and only you, and we are prepared to give him what he wants, in exchange for..."

"Over my dead body" shouted M

"Now M, Just listen for a minute..."

"I've heard all I want to hear. Do you have any idea who this man is or rather was? I nearly got myself killed trying to capture him years ago and I have no intention of doing a repeat performance for you or anyone else thank you very much!" she said sharply

"M...we need that information" said Mallory in a firm tone

"Well there are a lot of things I need, but I'm not willing to dance with the devil himself to get them" she replied angrily

"Does he have any idea who she is?... I mean who she is NOW?" asked James curiously

"To the best of my knowledge, Anton Mirrinov has no idea that M is the head of MI6 if that's what you're asking" snapped Mallory

"And just who's idiotic idea was this? You can't just send the Head of MI6 off on some damn fool mission by herself" said James as he stood up and began to pace angrily about the room before finally stopping with his hands firmly resting on the back of M's chair in an almost protective stance.

"Ah yes well you see, that's where you come in" said Mallory with a nervous smile "You see she wouldn't be alone, you would be with her"

"I see" hissed James

"Now look, this is a ridiculous . I haven't been out in the field in God knows how long and my certifications have long since expired..."

"That's why we want to put you through a somewhat scaled down version of training before you leave." replied Mallory

"Are you completely out of your tiny mind" snapped James, clearly un-amused "You want to put her through what amounts to spy camp at her age, no offense M" he said glancing at her "and then send her out there?"

"007...It's not as if I've never done this before" said M defensively "It's just been a long time"

"What the hell is wrong with you? You almost sound as though you are actually considering agreeing to this incredibly stupid idea"

"007...It's not like she's going into this completely blind, she was an agent at one time so this is just more or less a refresher course to sharpen her skills"

"And just who did you plan to lead this little refresher course?"

"Well I was hoping you would." replied Mallory

"Me?"

"Who better?...That is if M has no objections" he said turning to M for her approval

M just rolled her eyes at the thought of James as her instructor.

"And just what is my role in this little mission anyway?...I mean am I to be visible or invisible?"

"Oh visible of course. We wouldn't dream of sending her in alone with no protection No your cover will be...err...well...I suppose you could call it her escort" replied Mallory

"Her escort?...Oh I see so I am to be her toy boy...is that it?"

"Well...Yes. We can't have Mirrinov thinking that he can take liberties with her, so this was a way to ensure that he will leave her alone, physically" said Mallory

"And if I refuse?" asked M as she glared at Mallory

"Refusal is not an option. This request comes from the top"

"I see" replied M quietly

"007..I suggest that you commence with your training immediately as the two of you leave in 3 days"

"Right" said James, still not completely sure this was a good idea "Anything in particular you want me to concentrate on?"

"Make sure she can shoot straight, make sure her mental skills are sharp, that she can defend herself in necessary, and...if you two are to be believable as a couple, you might want to try working on acting like you actually like each other instead of arguing with each other all the time"

"Well then this shouldn't take long at all. She's already sharp as a tack, and she can cut you off at the knees without so much as lifting her little finger so that just leaves shooting...and the other thing" said James with a smirk

"Then I suggest you get to it." said Mallory as he rose to escort them out of his office

As James and M left, James instinctively put his arm around M and guided her down the deserted hall.

"007...What do you think you're doing" she said as she attempted to pull away from him

"Just following orders Ma'am" he said with a smile

"The Things I do for Queen and Country" she said as they continued down the hall.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2 Chapter 2

James dropped M off at her office and then left to run some personal errands before returning later in the day to begin their "Training". Just the thought of it made him laugh, If anyone had told him 8 hours ago that he would be in charge of "training" his boss in the art of the spy game he would have thought they were completely unhinged, but here he was walking back up to her office to do just that. As he entered the outer office he could see that Eve, M's secretary, clearly unhappy.

"Good afternoon Eve" he said cheerfully "And how are we today?"

"WE cannot wait for her majesty to leave for her business trip" snapped Eve with a bit of an edge to her voice

"What seems to be the problem?"

"You know...I was just going to ask you the same question. Usually she's just demanding but today she is downright unreasonable and all she does when she isn't barking out orders is mutter to herself..."

"Oh...and what does she say?" he asked with a grin

"No idea, all I have been able to make out is 007, so I deduced that somehow you are to blame for this cheery mood!"

"Well not entirely" he said as he went to the door

"I would be careful if I were you" she warned

"Say...how would you feel if I were to take her off your hands for the rest of the day?"

"From your lips to God's ears" she muttered as she returned to her typing

James opened the door just far enough to poke his head in to see M angrily rifling thru the stack of folders on her desk.

"Alright if I come in?" he asked hesitantly

"Does it really matter if I say it isn't" she snapped "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you said you had some errands to run"

"I'm done and now I believe we have a date at the shooting range" he said as he stood in front of her desk, just waiting for any number of excuses as to why she just couldn't possibly leave.

"You're really enjoying this aren't you" she said glaring at him

"You do realize that you could have just said No"

"Unless I am mistaken, No was not an option, unless you were at an entirely different meeting than I was this morning" she said coolly as she finished clearing off her desk

"Can I assume then that you are ready to begin?"

"Fine" she muttered begrudgingly as she came around the desk to join him "lead on McDuff" she said motioning toward the door

The ride down the indoor firing range was less than cheerful with M standing with her arms at her sides with clenched fists and James doing his level best not to laugh. Once they arrived he could tell that she was nervous but he wasn't quite sure why. It was no big secret that she was a terrible shot, she had admitted this tragic flaw quite openly on several occasions so he wasn't exactly sure what was bothering her so much. When they entered the range M was quite pleasantly surprised to find it completely empty except for James and of course her personal bodyguard, Morgan.

"Afternoon Morgan" said James as he made his way to the table full of guns and ammunition

"Afternoon 007...Ma'am" replied Morgan as he nodded to M

" Morgan...If you want to leave, I'll see to it that she gets home safely. We have a lot of business to attend to and there is no sense both of us being here to protect her being that clearly there is no threat" said James with a smile as he came to stand beside her

"Ma'am?" said Morgan looking to M for her approval

"Yes...of course. 007 can see me home safely once we are finished" she replied

Once Morgan had left James walked over to the table and picked up a Walther PPK and handed it to M.

"Ok...Show me what you can do" he said as he went back to lean against the wall.

M took the gun and turned to face the targets. She planted her feet and held the gun with one hand and was beginning to take aim as James loudly cleared his throat

"What is it!" she said turning to face him with a disgusted look on her face

"Nothing really" he said as he wrinkled up his face

"Well it must be something or you wouldn't be standing there with that stupid look on your face so out with it" she demanded as she began waving the gun back and forth

"Hey watch it...That's not a water pistol you know" he said sharply as he grabbed hold of her hand

"What's the matter Bond? Afraid I'll shoot you" she said with a smirk

"Now that you mention it...Yes"

"Alright ,you're the expert... What am I doing wrong?" she asked sarcastically

"Well it's just that that if I were you I would hold it with two hands. The recoil on it can be a bitch sometimes and you could hurt your wrist" he said innocently

"007...I have always fired a gun with one hand" she said defensively

"Alright, Have it your way...just don't say I didn't try to warn you"

M turned and faced the targets again and fired several shots in rapid succession before dropping her arm and rubbing her wrist which was now quite sore

"Told you so" he said sarcastically as he came to stand beside her, taking her wrist in his hand to inspect it for any damage

"Fine! are you happy now? You told me so" she snapped as she pulled her arm out of his hand

"It's remarkable...you fired off 7 shots and never once managed to hit the target" he said as he studied the hanging papers at the end of the room

"And just what is so remarkable about that? I haven't fired a gun in nearly 30 years, It's no big surprise that I am a little out of practice" she retorted

"Let's try this again" he said as he came around to stand behind her. "Lift the gun as though you are taking aim" he said

M unhappily did as she was told and lifted the gun again

"Now I want you to use both hands this time" he said as he leaned down and placed his chin on her shoulder

"Bond! what are you doing" she asked as she turned her head to find herself nose to nose with him

"Trying to see how you are aiming, from your perspective" he replied "You're aiming too high"

"No I'm not!"

"Here let me show you" he said as he put his arms around her with his hands over hers on the gun, and his chin still resting on her shoulder "You need to aim lower so that when you fire and the gun lifts slightly, you will hit your target"

"You can let go now" she said dryly as she attempted to pull away from him "I think I've got the picture"

"Look...If we are to be believable as a couple, than you are going to have to get used to me touching you" he replied as he looked down at her

"You just keep your hands to yourself" she snapped

James did as he was told and took a step back and waited as she turned and fired the gun again. The only problem was that in her frustration with James she hadn't bothered to plant her feet correctly so when she fired, the force of the shot caused her to lose her balance and sent her flying backwards into James sending them both crashing to the ground. James somehow managed to get his arms around her and put himself between her and the floor to cushion their fall.

"M" he said weakly as he carefully took the gun from her hand "I think from now on you should leave the shooting to me"

"Right" she replied with a slight look of embarrassment as she untangled herself from his arms

"I think we've had enough target practice for today don't you?" he asked as he got up and helped her to her feet

"Yes" she said as she reached for the gun

"What are you doing?"

"I just want to prove something to you" she said as she held the gun in one hand and pointed at the target and squeezed the trigger hitting the target directly in the center.

James stood there stunned for a moment looking back and forth between M and the target, which now had a gaping hole in the center

"I told you I prefer to fire a gun with one hand" she said dryly as she handed the gun back and headed toward the door "Oh and Bond...I can hit my target when it really counts"

"She never ceases to amaze me" he muttered as he followed her out the door.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Chapter 3 Chapater 3

**For Rebaforever15, Thanks for all the support. **

James did as promised and took M home, stopping to pick up an order of Chinese food along the way.

"I still don't understand...If you knew you could hit the target then why the big production of how you can't shoot?" asked James as he followed her into her flat

"Because it is a well known and documented fact that I can't...that was just a lucky shot. I probably couldn't do it again if my life depended on it" she quipped as she walked thru to the kitchen get the plates and glasses

"Wine or scotch?" he asked as he put the food on the table

"Oh...Wine I guess"

As they sat down to eat, The majority of their conversation consisted of no more than a series of monosyllabic phrases of yes, no, please and thank you.

"You know we still have to work on this believable relationship we are supposed to be having" he said with a slight grin

"James...I believe that our relationship is just fine the way it is"

Midway thru the meal M looked up to find James just staring at her.

"Something on your mind?" she asked rather matter of fact

"You could say that" he replied as he put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands

"Well then out with it. What's on your mind"

"About this "Training"...Why is Mallory suddenly so concerned about your ability to protect yourself?, and what is this business of having me pose as your escort, toy boy or whatever you want to call it?"

"Perhaps he's just covering his arse in case this mission is a complete disaster" she replied shrugging her shoulders

"And what about Anton Mirrinov..."

"What about him?"

"I don't believe for a second that he doesn't know who you are regardless of what that twit Mallory says"

"Oh and why is that?" she asked

"Because according to Mallory he asked to speak to M, but you weren't M yet when he knew you, you were just an agent"

"Go on" she said listening intently

"And why, after all these years does he only want to speak to you? surly he must realize that you would have been long since retired, so what would make him think that you would even still be around unless he knew for a fact who you are?"

M got up from the table and took her dishes to the kitchen with James following close behind. As she rinsed off her plate he noticed her hand was shaking slightly.

"What is it M?" he asked as he stood beside her watching her carefully

"It's nothing" she said in an attempt to avoid his question

"Don't be stupid" he said as me moved to stand behind her, putting one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders pulling her back against him "I can tell it's not just nothing" he whispered in her ear.

M just turned her head to the side but as she did James felt the splash of a tear hit his hand.

"M...What is it?" he asked as he turned her around to face him.

"I don't think I can do this" she said in a shaky voice as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes

"Do what?"

"You have no idea who this man is or what he is capable of" she said quietly "He's a butcher...He's murdered hundreds of innocent people without so much as batting an eye"

James had seen a wide range of emotions play across the face of his boss over the years, but never before had he ever seen the look of complete and total fear. All he could think to do was to pull her closer and hold her tightly as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You were right about what you said before" she said as she rested her head against his chest "He knows exactly who I am"

"How do you know?"

"Because when I took over as M he sent me a congratulatory note. It only had 4 words, but I knew it was from him"

"What did the note say?"

"It just said Maxwell would be proud"

"Who was Maxwell?"

"He was my partner. Mirrinov's men murdered him shortly after we were captured" she said pulling away from him

"What do you mean after we were captured?" he asked as she headed toward the sitting room to pour herself a drink

"The mission went horribly wrong and we were captured. Maxwell was killed almost immediately, and Mirrinov held me for 4 days before an extraction team was sent in to get me out" she said quietly as a tear slid down her cheek "I was shot 13 times in the arms and legs, beaten to within an inch of my life and left to die"

James was stunned by what she was telling him. He knew from reading her file that she had been wounded in the line of duty, but he had no idea the extent of the emotional and physical damage she had endured. The look of absolute pain and fear nearly broke his heart as he slid closer and put his arm around her, pulling her to him in a protective embrace.

"That was a long time ago M...He can't hurt you now" he said as he leaned down and gently kissed her

It took a moment for it to register that she was in James' arms before she pulled back, wiped away a stray tear and then lit into him with one of her famous rants.

"How dare you choose now of all times to turn on that famous charm of yours and try to seduce me!" she snapped

"I wasn't doing anything of the sort" he snapped back "You were upset...I was trying to comfort you!"

"Leave it to you to take a painful situation and use it to your full advantage!"

"I was and am genuinely concerned about you, why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Why do you insist on treating me like one of your mindless bimbos that seem to fall at your feet when you bat an eye at them?...Just how stupid do you think I am?"

"M..I wasn't trying to do anything..." he said apologetically as he rose from the sofa and began pacing around the room

"Then why did you kiss me?" she demanded as she stood up and glared at him "Is this all part of this so called "Training"? bring me to my lowest point and then make your move? Is that how it works?"

James couldn't believe what he was hearing. He kissed her because he honestly cared about her, but in her current mood, trying to calmly explain this would only make matters worse.

"I should have know better than to agree to this asinine plan with you, of all people, as my escort given your reputation" she hissed

"M...I've had just about enough of this!" he shouted as he took hold of her shoulders

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" she shouted back

"Something I've wanted to do for a long time, but up until now never thought I would have a snowballs chance in hell of ever getting the chance" he said as he took a step closer and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. She struggled against him for a few moments before he finally began to feel her relax. When he finally broke the kiss, for no other reason than the general need for air, he took a step back and tilted her chin up so he could look her directly in the eye.

"I have loved you since the first time I met you" he said with a crack in his voice "I would not now, nor would I ever use a painful memory to take advantage of you" he continued "It's true that I want you and I want to be with you, but not like this" he said quietly

"And just why should I believe you?" she asked as tears threatened to spill from her eyes "You make a living making people believe things that simply are not true in order to accomplish your mission...Is that what I am?...Just another mission?"

"If you believe that than you don't know me very well" he replied as he lowered his hand and headed toward the door. " I'll inform Mallory in the morning that he will need to reassign this mission to another agent" he said dryly as he left

As soon as she heard the door shut, M burst into tears. She didn't want another agent. She wanted and needed James, and for both professional and personal reasons, she needed to find a way to fix this, and the sooner the better.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4 Chapter 4

James angrily paced around his flat with his mood waffling somewhere between really pissed off and hurt that M would seriously think that she was nothing more than just another mission to him. As he gulped down his drink he tried in vain to see the entire situation from her point of view. First she's been told that she is to come out of retirement and become an active agent again, against her wishes, then she is told that her own agent will be in charge of retraining her, then she is told that said agent must appear as though he is her latest fling, all the while maintaining her professional distance then to make matters worse, their target is a man who tortured the crap out of her and left her for dead, killing her partner in the process. As he continued to consider the facts as he knew them he heard a light knock and as he opened the door he found a rather bewildered M staring back at him.

"May I come in?" she asked quietly

James stepped aside and let her pass as he closed the door behind her.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. I had no right to treat you that way, and I understand if you would rather have someone else..."

"M" he said as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders "I've had a lot of time to think about this, and I can see how it must have looked to you, but I would never hurt you"

"I know that"

"But I also have a feeling that there is more to this story than you're letting on, so how about you tell me the rest" he said as he pulled her closer

James could feel her trembling as he continued to stand there, holding her, waiting for her to speak.

"He'll kill you, just like he killed Maxwell" she finally said "I just don't think I could handle losing anyone else to someone like him"

"Hey...That's not going to happen"

"You can't be sure of that...You don't know him"

"Maybe not, but I do know that better men than him have tried and I'm still here aren't I?" he said with a smile

"True"

"M" he said quietly "May I ask you a something?...and if you don't want to tell me I completely understand"

"What is it you want to know?" she said looking up at him

"I know that you said you were shot what 13 times?, and you were severely beaten, but what else did he do to you?"

"Do you really need to ask?" she replied as a tear slid down her cheek

"Come with me" he said softly as he led her toward the bedroom

"What are you doing?"

"Just come with me" he repeated slowly

As he led her to the bed, confusion was clearly written across M's face.

"James...Have you not...What are you doing?" she asked

"Just lay down" he said motioning to the bed

"You can't be serious" she said sharply

"M...would you for once do as you're told"

M climbed on the bed and leaned back against the pillows as tears began to sting her eyes. James reached down and picked up a blanket covering her, making sure to "Tuck her in" before climbing in beside her

"Alright...now what" she said desperately fighting off the tears that were threatening to fall

James slid over and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him and just held her.

"Now what?" she asked in a shaky voice

"What do you mean now what? I thought if we are ever going to pull this off we better at least practice sleeping together because it is a pretty safe bet that the hotel room will have cameras and microphones" he said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead

"You mean you still want to do this?"

"Try and stop me"

"Promise me that you won't take any unnecessary chances this time"

"I promise. You are my main priority this time...not blowing up buildings and high speed chases, although I do love the high speed chases" he said with a grin

"So what do we do now?" she asked as she curled up closer to him and began to relax

"Well...as stupid as this sounds...If we are going to make him believe that we really are together then we really should spend at least a little time on..."

"If this is just another way for you to suggest that I have sex with you..."

"No...that's not what I'm suggesting at all, although I wouldn't be opposed to the idea, I just thought that I should at least practice kissing you properly. As for the other...Well I will leave that up to you. I am willing to wait as long as it takes" he replied

"007...I could be wrong, but I don't recall kissing practice as part of the usual "training" regiment" she said sarcastically

"Well you have to admit there is nothing USUAL about this whole mission, but then again Mallory planned it so what do you expect" he said as he leaned down and tenderly captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5 Chapter 5

**Finally managed to finish this chapter. Note to self, never try to write while taking cold medicine haha**

Bill Tanner stood in the doorway of Eve's office doing his very best not to laugh as he quietly watched her crane her neck around in an attempt to nonchalantly look in M's office

"What are you doing?" he whispered as he approached her desk

"Oh...Bill...Sorry I didn't see you standing there" she said with a slightly embarrassed look

"Apparently not" he replied with a grin "So what are you doing?"

"Shhh...Keep your voice down" she hissed

"I could be wrong but spying on the boss is generally not a good idea...especially when your boss is M"

"Are you busy right now?" she asked

"Not particularly...Why?"

"Come with me" she said as she headed toward the door

Bill followed Eve down the hall to the break room where she carefully shut the door behind them so they wouldn't be overheard.

"What's gotten in to you?" he asked curiously

"Have you noticed anything unusual about Bond and M today?" she asked

"Define unusual"

"He hasn't left her side for more than 5 minutes all day" she said

"What's so unusual about that? I know that they are working on a special project for Mr. Mallory and it has something to do with the business trip M is scheduled to be on starting tomorrow"

"All I know is there is an awful lot of whispering going on in there and I could almost swear at one point I saw James put his arm around M and give her a quick kiss" replied Eve sounding rather suspicious

"Eve, you certainly have an active imagination. Can you really see James putting his arm around M much less kissing her?"

"If you had asked me that yesterday I would have said no, but after seeing them together all day...I'm not so sure anymore" She said as she headed back to her office

James sat across from M busily texting away as M worked on the stack of files on her desk.

"James...It really isn't necessary for you to be with me every second while we are still in London" she said sounding a bit annoyed

"Oh I think it is" he said as he read and responded to the newest text on his phone

"Don't you have some packing to do?" she asked hoping he would get the hint

"It won't take long for me to pack" he said still concentrating on his phone

"What are you doing over there anyway?" she asked flatly

"Working on some insurance"

"What kind of insurance?"

"Well we can't use any of our own people because Mirrinov is sure to know who they are so I called in a favor from a friend" he replied looking up at her with a smile after he tapped in a few more words and hit send.

"So you think there is going to be trouble" she said quietly as she got up to go stand by the window looking out over the river.

"I didn't say that" he said as he rose to join her, putting his arms around her "I'm just not taking any chances is all"

"This isn't like you to be so organized and so full of contingency plans" she said turning to face him

"Well I don't usually have the boss along on a mission"

"I see, then maybe I should come along more often...It might save the department some money if I did" she said with a nervous laugh

"M...I want to make one thing perfectly clear to you and to Mallory before we leave" he said in all seriousness

"Oh and what is that?"

"I know that I'm supposed to be your escort, for lack of a better word, but I want this lunatic to be aware that I am you bodyguard as well"

"Well I would think that would be obvious...don't you?"

"No. This is a usual Mallory mission so it's full of holes. I want Mirrinov to understand loud and clear that you will NOT be alone with him for any reason."

"He isn't going to like that"

"I don't give a monkeys butt what he likes. He spent all the time alone with you he is ever going to 30 years ago..."

"But  
what if he won't agree and takes matters into his own hands?"

"That's what the insurance is for" he said with a smile

"I don't suppose you would care to tell me just who this insurance is by any chance?"

"Later" he said looking at his watch "We have a final briefing with Mallory in an hour"

"Right" she said pulling away from him

"Look...after the briefing...we'll stop by my flat and pick up my gear and then well go to your place so you can pack, then we'll have a nice relaxing dinner and get some sleep so that we'll both be bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like you have this all planned out, but I don't see the need for you to stay with me tonight."

"Really...You don't?"

"Why?...What do you know?"

"I know that our little friend's report to Mirrinov will be extraordinarily boring if I go home instead of staying with you tonight" he said with a grin

"What little friend?"

"The one that's been following us for the last 24 hours"

"So that's why you haven't left my side."

"M...surly you knew you were being followed"

"Well the thought did occur to me when I came to your flat last night"

"And yet you came by yourself anyway instead of just calling"

"Well I knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to try something here in London, and you have to admit my coming to you does make this relationship more believable"

"So you orchestrated the whole argument last night..."

"No...That was real, but after you left I thought about it and we need him to believe that you really are more than just my bodyguard" she said quietly

"And am I?"

"I think you already know the answer to that" she said as she reached up to pull him down into a kiss to which he happily responded

"We should get going" he said as he released her

As James and M left her office she stopped by Eve's desk to drop off the files she had been working on , along with a list of tasks for her to complete while she was away.

"Is there a contact number in case I need to reach you?" asked Eve as she eyed James and M curiously

"You can try either of our mobiles and if that doesn't work you can phone Mr. Mallory, He will know how to contact me" she said rather matter of fact

"You haven't really said much about this trip...Is it business or pleasure?" Eve asked trying hard not to sound like she was prying

"Business...definitely business" replied James as he put his arm around M and escorted her out the door, brushing past Bill in the process

After James and M had left, Eve just sat at her desk with an "I told you so" sort of look on her face.

"What's up with them?" asked Bill

"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier" said Eve shaking her head

"Well whatever is going on...It must be big...Even I don't have security clearance for it" said Bill

"I just hope whatever it is they're careful"

"Well at least they are together. What could possibly go wrong?"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6 Chapter 6

**Sorry this took so long. Hope it was worth the wait.**

James sat quietly next to M as they waited for their plane to depart from Heathrow at exactly 9:00 am. One of the few perks of taking the company plane was being able to count on a prompt departure time, but today it would seem that M may have preferred a delay as she sat wringing her hands and biting her bottom lip.

"You ok?" he asked as he reached over and took hold of her hand

"Fine" she said as she flashed him a nervous smile

"It's going to be alright M"

"I know, I just wish this was over is all" she said quietly

The majority of the 7 hour flight was spent in almost total silence with M lost in her thoughts and James staring out the window. When the plane finally arrived in St. Petersburg, James and M were met by a private limousine and taken to a rather quaint hotel just outside the city center. Once they had checked into their room James did his usual sweep of the place locating both the microphones and cameras.

"You would think by now they would have better technology" muttered James under his breath as he stood behind M placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes" was her only reply as she was clearly still lost in her own thoughts

"Hey" he said pulling her close "You're safe...you know that right?"

"Yes of course" she said turning to face him "I'm just being paranoid, I mean what could possibly happen? he's in his 80's for God sake"

"Tell you what, why don't you finish unpacking and we'll go down and get a drink to settle your nerves"

"If it's all the same to you I think I would rather just stay up here" she replied as she went back to unpacking

"No..I think getting out and about will do you some good" said James rather insistently

"Fine...Just give me a few minutes" she replied clearly beginning to become irritated

Once she had finished unpacking, James escorted M down to the small bar located in the lobby. The bar area looked slightly like what you would expect in a ski lodge complete with animal heads mounted on the walls, a large fireplace and lots of dark wood furniture. There weren't many people in the bar, so finding a seat wasn't much of a problem. M scanned the room, looking suspiciously at the men seated at the small tables located in either corner of the room while James went to the bar and ordered their drinks. On his way back to the table one of the other guests stood up abruptly, bumping into James, causing him to send one the glasses he was carrying crashing to the floor at M's feet.

"I am so sorry" said the man apologetically "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" replied James as knelt down to make sure M hadn't been injured by any of the flying glass

"I honestly didn't see you there. Please accept my apology"

"It's alright...No harm done" replied James

"The name is Jack...Jack Ward" said the man as he extended his hand toward James

"Bond...James Bond, and this is M" he said motioning to M

"Very nice to meet you Mr. Bond, Ms. M. It's so nice to finally run into someone who speaks English. Are you folks here on business or pleasure?"

"Business" replied James "And you?" he asked

"Business. I'm in the insurance business...how about you?"

" Acquisitions" replied James

"I see..well it was nice to meet you both, and again my apologies. If you find that you would like some conversation in English sometime during you stay feel free to look me up, folks around here aren't much good for English conversation"

"Thanks...I'll keep that in mind" replied James as Jack disappeared out of the bar

"Awfully friendly don't you think?" said M eyeing James suspiciously

"I think he was just being polite and trying to find a graceful way out of an embarrassing situation"

"He sounded American" said M absent mindedly

"Could be. So what time are you supposed to have this meeting with Mirrinov?" asked James

"Supposedly I am to meet him for dinner"

"You mean WE are to meet him for dinner. I told you before we left that you will NOT be spending any time alone with him and I meant that" stated James

"Thank you James" Said M as she reached over to grasp his hand. "You have no idea how much that means to me to know that you will be there"

Once they had finished their drinks they made their way back upstairs to wait to be called for dinner. M nervously paced around the room glancing at the clock every few seconds until James finally stopped her in her tracks and pulled her into a tight, protective embrace.

"You don't have to do this you know" he said as he held her close

"Yes...I do. I need to deal with my demons once and for all." she said as she snuggled closer

They stood there for a few minutes before they heard a knock at the door.

"That will be him" said M as her entire body suddenly became tense

"I'll get it" said James as he reluctantly released her

As he answered the door he found a very tall, broad shouldered man dressed in a black suit with dark hair and dark eyes staring back at him.

"I am here to escort Madam M to dinner with Mr. Mirrionv" said the man with a very thick Russian accent

"That won't be necessary. I will escort her myself" replied James stiffly

"I'm sorry Mr. Bond, but Madam M will be dinning alone with Mr. Mirrinov"

"I'm sorry perhaps you didn't hear me. Where ever she goes, I go get the picture?"

"As you wish" grumbled the man as he took a step back so they could leave the room.

James and M followed their escort down a long series of halls until they finally reached the private dining room with two guards standing outside the door.

"Wait here while I announce you" mumbled their escort as he disappeared inside the room

M shot James a nervous glance as she waited patiently. James could tell by the look on her face that she was not about the let Mirrinov see her fear as, in her opinion, fear is a sign of weakness and M was anything but weak.

When the door opened James heard a slight gasp from M as she stood nearly frozen in place. James sensing her fear quickly put his hand on the small of her back and escorted her through the door. The room was beautifully decorated with beautiful oil paintings, a large marble fire place and floor to ceiling windows at the end of the room. The massive mahogany table was elaborately set with delicate white china dishes, crystal stemware and large silver candelabras that were polished to within an inch of their lives. At the opposite end of the room was a sitting area with a small sofa and two large burgundy velvet wing backed chairs.

"This way please" said their escort as he led them to the far end of the room where they found an aging gentleman with snow white hair, a well manicured graying beard and coal black eyes sitting in a wheelchair which was flanked by two men dressed in dark suits. As they came nearer the two men helped the old man to stand.

"M...How kind of you to come" he said as he took a step closer to her with the help of one of his assistants

M just stared at him, although she had relaxed slightly at the sight of him needing assistance to stand let alone walk.

"Come closer and let me look at you" he said motioning for her to step forward

As M started to move, James instinctively grabbed her arm to hold her back

"It's ok James" she said as she nervously took a step forward

"Just a beautiful as I remember. The years have been very kind to you" he said reaching out to cup her cheek

M flinched slightly at his touch but continued to stare at him with the complete and total determination that he would not see her fear.

As he pulled his hand back he turned his attention to James.

"And you must be the famous 007. James Bond"

"Yes" replied James as he took a step forward to stand beside M "And you are?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anton Mirrinov. I trust our accommodations are to your liking?"

"Yes..They are fine" replied M dryly

"Perhaps we could get on with why you have asked M here" said James sounding a bit impatient.

"All in good time. First we will dine and then tomorrow we can talk business" replied Mirrinov as his assistant helped him back into his chair.

James let out a sigh as he and M followed Mirrinov to the table to begin what some could consider the dinner from hell.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7 Chapter 7

**For Rebaforever15, Prosper the XVII and Lilly0206, Thanks for hanging with me on this one. It's been hard as I've been under the weather but hopefully I can get the updates done sooner now that I'm doing much better :)**

They sat at the dinner table and listened as Anton Mirrinov touted his many escapades as one of the former KGB's top agents. They heard how inept he thought MI6 was back in the day and how he thwarted many of their missions. He was very proud of the fact that he never tolerated failure and how his agents had almost a kamikaze mentality of succeed or die trying. As the evening was finally beginning to wind down he turned his attention to M.

"You've done very well for yourself M" he said as he refilled the wine glasses

"Thank you" she said coolly

"As I said before, the years have been kind to you. You are as beautiful as you were all those years ago..."

"If she is so beautiful then why did you have her shot 13 times and beaten?" asked James who by now was clearly irritated and quite frankly tired of listening to this pampas ass.

"This is no business for smart, beautiful women. M is far to intelligent to be out in the field on such dangerous missions. She should have been doing what she was born to do which was lead." replied Anton "But she was far too stubborn for her own good."

"Anton...I can see that you are enjoying this waltz down memory lane, however, I do not share the same sentiment so let's come straight to the point shall we. What exactly is it that you want?" asked M as she narrowed her eyes and glared at him

"I wanted to ask your forgiveness" he replied

"Forgiveness?...You had me shot! You had me tortured and beaten! It will be a cold day in hell before I forgive you" she snapped

"Yes it is true that I had you shot, but none of the wounds were fatal, I made sure of that..."

"You shattered my arms!..."

"Flesh wounds mostly and if you recall I had them tended to so you wouldn't bleed to death" he retorted

"You only did that to keep me alive so you could continue..."

"If you would have just flipped, as I assumed you would, then the rest would never have happened"

"So this was all my fault?...The beatings and the torture and the other?"

"A regrettable hazard of the job"

"That's what you call it? A regrettable hazard?" said James angrily "I think I've heard just about enough. I don't care what information you have, We're not interested in a deal with you today, tomorrow or ever" said James with a note of finality in his voice

"You're devotion to her is admirable, somewhat reminiscent of someone else if I recall correctly" replied Anton with a smirk

"And just what is that suppose to mean?" asked James through clenched teeth

"She didn't tell you?"

"That's enough Anton" said M angrily

"Tell me what?"

"You are not the first to go headlong into battle for her honor and undoubtedly you will not be the last" he replied with a wicked laugh "M has just one fault and that is that she tends to get too close to her agents and she sometimes has trouble distinguishing the difference between professional and personal relationships."

"I presume you are referring to Agent Maxwell, her partner, that you murdered"

"Her partner?...Is that what she told you?...My dear man, they were more than just partners, which is what made killing him all the more difficult. I assumed, incorrectly I might add, that she would do anything to save him, but sadly I was mistaken"

"That's enough Anton" said M with a crack in her voice "I've heard enough"

"Yes...You are right...enough about the past. I will meet with you tomorrow to discuss the information I have.."

"No. I don't think that will be necessary. I do not believe that there is anything you could possibly know that is of any interest to MI6" said M flatly

"Oh you will meet with me...that is if you would like to know the name of the mole that has infiltrated MI6 and would like access to the information that he or she has been passing to certain terrorist organizations around the world"

M just sat there, stunned by the information. She had been aware of a few security leaks in recent months but none of the information that had been leaked had been of any real relevance. She swallowed hard before she calmly stood up to leave.

"I will consider your request for a meeting" she said "And just what do you REALLY want in exchange for this information?"

"What I want is very simple. I am an old man, I want to be able to spend my remaining years out of sight. You people at MI are masters at making people disappear, and that is what I want...To disappear in the luxury I deserve..."

"At our expense no doubt" she snapped

"It is a small price to pay considering the magnitude of the situation" he said arrogantly

"We will consider your proposal" she said as she turned and headed toward the door with James not far behind.

After they had left, Mirrinov's two assistants reappeared from the dark recesses of the room.

"Do you think she will agree?" asked one of the men as he helped Mirrinov out of the wheel chair

"I hate that damn wheelchair, but it was a good idea to use it to make her think that I am old and feeble. I had hoped that it would soften her feelings toward me, but apparently it did not. She may need a bit more convincing" he said as he walked across the room, clearly unassisted

"I assume then that you want us to go ahead with the rest of the plan?" asked the other assistant

"Yes, but you must be very careful not to harm them. I need them both alive!"

The walk back to their room was awkward to say the least. M was having a small mental debate with herself as to whether Anton was telling the truth about the Mole, and James was lost in his own thoughts, recalling the discussion about Agent Maxwell and his relationship with M. Once inside the room James paced about uneasily, as if he wanted to ask a question but didn't quite know how to phrase it so as not to upset M anymore than she already was.

"James" she said quietly as she sat on the edge of the bed looking at her hands that were folded in her lap "I need to explain about Robert"

"By Robert you mean Agent Maxwell?"

"Yes" she said nervously "It was a long time ago, and it was a situation similar to this where we were to pose as husband and wife, but things got out of hand, and we were young and foolish and I suppose we did cross a line, but I didn't give him up..." she said with tears in her eyes "I didn't..."

"Shhhh" replied James as he sat beside her and put his arms around her, pulling her close to him rocking her gently as she began to cry in his arms "I know you didn't. You don't have it in you to be so heartless no matter what the situation. That was just Mirrinov trying to get inside your head" he said quietly as he kissed her temple.

They stayed that way for quite a while with James gently consoling M until she began to relax.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked as he wiped away the last of her tears from her cheek

"Yes" she said as she pulled away from him "A double if you don't mind"

As James went to fix the drinks, M noticed a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the table

"Where did those come from?...If they are from him I would prefer it if you threw them out the window"

"No need" said James as he read the card "They're from that American we met earlier...Another apology to the beautiful lady whose drink he spilled" he said with a slight grin

"You have to be kidding. What is with that man, I mean how many times is he going to apologize? It was only a drink for Christ sake it's not like he mortally wounded my best friend" she said slightly annoyed

As M took a sip of her drink she thought the bourbon tasted different but she couldn't quite pin down exactly what was different. After they had finished their drinks M went into the bathroom to change for bed as James fussed with the bouquet of flowers muttering to himself as he did.

"Who were you talking to?' she asked as she climbed into bed

"Myself" he said as he climbed in beside her "I'm just bloody mad that he was able to get at you so easily"

"James...we knew this could happen, in fact, I would have been surprised if he hadn't tried. It's who he is. He rules by intimidation" she said as she curled up beside him with her head resting on his chest

"You're not seriously considering meeting with him tomorrow are you?" he asked as he pulled her closer and kissed her forehead

"I don't seem to have a choice"

"And you'll give him what he wants?"

"No, what I will give him is an all expenses paid retirement courtesy of her Majesty at one of her many palatial estates. You know the high security ones with guards and electric fences where we can keep an eye on him"

"Do you really think you can pull that off?"

"The second he sets foot in England he will be arrested. He's wanted in several countries for crimes against humanity, I see no reason why we shouldn't be to ones to get first crack at him" she said through a yawn

"Let's just hope that he's stupid enough to fall for it" he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her good night

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Chapter 8 Chapter 8

**For Rebaforever15, Prosper the XVII and Lilly0206, Sorry about the cliffhanger but it makes the story so much more interesting hehe**

As James struggled to open his eyes it quickly became evident that he was no longer in bed with M. In fact he was no longer lying down at all but rather he was sitting upright in an extremely uncomfortable chair and he had a splitting headache.

"Good Morning Mr. Bond...sleep well?"

"Where am I?" asked James as he attempted to focus in the direction of the voice

"After our dinner last night I decided that in order for M to cooperate she just might need a bit more convincing"

"Mirrinov!" he said angrily as he struggled against the restraints that were holding him in place

"Yes..That's right"

"Where is M?...what have you done with her?"

"Relax Mr. Bond She is fine, in fact she should be waking up any minute now."

"So what is the plan?...hold me hostage until she agrees to give you what you want?"

"Something like that."

"And if she refuses?"

"I have every reason to believe that she will not. She appears to have strong feelings for you, even stronger than her feelings for that poor soul Maxwell. I believe that she will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety" replied Anton with a smirk "So you see all you have to do is sit there like a good boy until this is all over and no harm will come to you"

"You seem very confident about this plan of yours" said James with a hint of sarcasm

"So far you and she have done exactly what I expected, right down to the sorry excuses you call your back up. They couldn't protect a stick of gum let alone the Head of MI6 and it's top agent"

"So you spotted the other agents did you?" said James with a slight grin

"It wasn't really that hard to be quite honest. You know I must say, I took you for a smarter man, you really should review your security protocols when this is over. My people had very little trouble "relocating" yours when we came to get you last night"

"And M?...what about her?"

"Once your people were out of the way we saw no reason to disturb her."

"So you just left her there...unattended?"

"It's not as if she is going anywhere"

"Has anyone checked on her lately...to be sure that she is alright?" asked James quizzically

"Not recently, but if it would put your mind at ease I will personally look in on her" replied Anton as he started toward the door

"Let me know how she is" said James as the door shut

As M opened her eyes it was immediately obvious that she was no longer in her hotel room, in fact, it appeared that she was no longer in the hotel at all. She was in a small room with a chest of drawers, a chair and a bed. She did not appear to be restrained nor did she appear to be a prisoner as the door was slightly open and she could faintly hear the sound of men's voices from down the hall. They appeared to be speaking English with no trace of Russian accents which was slightly unnerving. She immediately shut her eyes, pretending to still be asleep as she heard footsteps coming down the hall toward her room. She heard the door creek as it opened and a man came toward the bed to check on her. As the man started to pull the blankets over her she began flailing her arms at him in an attempt to defend herself.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed as she tried to fight

The man quickly caught both of her wrists and held her down for no other reason than to keep her from hurting herself

"M!...It's alright...You're safe" he said firmly as she struggled against him

"LET ME GO" she shouted as tears began to stream down her cheeks

The man had no other choice than to pull her to him and hold her tightly as he continued to try to calm her

"M...It's ok..You're safe...We're not going to hurt you... James sent us" he said calmly

M stopped struggling at the mention of James name

"What do you mean James sent you?" she asked in a shaky voice

"I'm the insurance" replied the man as he released her and turned on the light

As she leaned back against the pillows and pulled the blankets up around her, her eyes began to focus and staring back at her was the American business man...Jack Ward.

"I'm sorry...we haven' been properly introduced. I am Jack Ward. I am the head field agent for the CIA and I am a close, personal friend of James" he said

"You are CIA?"

"Yup. James called me and explained the situation and asked for my help, in case something like this happened" he said

"So he expected this?"

"Well we assumed that Mirrinov would try to take you, and since he was watching you and your people, we figured that my people could slide in "under the radar" so to speak"

"Where am I?" she asked nervously

"You're in one of our safe houses"

"And where is James?" she asked with noticeable panic in her voice

"Mirrinov has him. We believe that he intends to use James as leverage in order to get you to agree to whatever crazy demands he has"

"So what do we do now?' she asked

"Well...if I am correct..Mirrinov should be discovering that you are missing right about now" replied Jack with a smile

"But if he can't find me he will kill James" she said as she attempted to get up.

As soon as she sat up she was immediately overcome by the after effects of the sedative and the room began to spin. Jack quickly but gently took her shoulders and leaned her back against the pillows again.

"Hold on there little lady, I think you should just lay still and let the effects of whatever they gave you wear off before you try to get up"

"But we have to get to James" she said as she attempted to sit up again

"James wasn't kidding when he said you were feisty"

"I feel so useless" she said with tears in her eyes

"Well you are the loveliest useless women I have ever met" he said with a smile as he reached out and took her hand.

"I don't suppose you thought to bring me a change of clothes?"

"Actually we did" he replied "James had your secretary Eve?, lovely girl by the way, go to your flat and pack a bag for you. She said she hoped you approve of what she sent"

"When did he have time to do that?"

"He sent her a text from Heathrow while you were waiting for your plane to leave" he said with a grin

"You will get him back won't you?' she asked hesitantly

"You don't seriously think that the Russians have cornered the market on double agents do you?"

"So you have a plan?"

"But of course. Dreamed up by none other than 007 himself" he said proudly

"Oh great. I feel so much better knowing that James planned his own rescue" she said sarcastically "I wonder how much this is going to cost"

"What do you mean?"

"Well...to put it bluntly...James has a habit of leaving behind a rather expensive trail of destruction. I just hope he remembers that we need Mirrinov alive if we are to get the bloody information we came to get in the first place"

"Don't worry about that right now" he said confidently

"I have to worry about that. If Mirrinov dies the information dies with him"

"Not necessarily"

"I don't understand"

"Believe it or not we know who the mole is"

"But how could you possibly know that?...We don't even know that, we weren't even sure there actually was a mole in the first place" she said sounding a bit confused

"It only took our computer genius and your Q about 36 hours to figure it out"

"And just when did you do this?"

"We got confirmation yesterday"

"If you knew yesterday then why didn't you tell us so we could have avoided all of this"

"I never had the opportunity to tell James being that the entire hotel is either bugged or has hidden cameras. I had a hard enough time getting our own camera in your room as it was"

"How did you do that?..I mean get the camera in without being seen?" she asked curiously

"Ahh...the beauty of fiber optics. It was in the bouquet along with a microphone" he replied proudly

"So that's who he was talking to"

"We had to have some way of keeping an eye on you so we knew when to come rescue you" he said with a laugh

"So what now?" she asked calmly

"Well...for right now, if you're feeling up to it, I will let you get dressed while I go check on our wayward agent and see how things are progressing. I have a feeling that Mirrinov is a tad bit angry at the moment" replied Jack as he stood to leave

"You will get James back alive?"

"You can count on it" he said with a wink as he left the room

James sat patiently in the chair straining to hear the conversation from the next room. It wasn't all that hard to hear when Anton discovered that M was missing.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE" shouted Anton as he angrily turned the monitor so he could see for himself

"She was there when we left...but as you can see she is gone" replied one of the men

"WELL WHERE IS SHE!"

"We have searched the entire hotel and she is nowhere to be found" was the answer, and apparently it was the wrong answer as James heard a loud crash and a long string of very unpleasant words, all in Russian of course.

"FIND HER!"

James tried desperately to keep a straight face as Anton stormed back into the room.

"Is there a problem?" asked James with a smirk

"Well played Mr. Bond, but you seem to have forgotten one little detail"

"Oh and what is that?"

"I still have you" replied Anton with a disgusted tone

As they sat staring at each other the phone rang.

"Mr. Mirrinov, it is for you"

Anton angrily grabbed the phone as he continued to glare at James

"Hello"

"Mr. Mirrinov...I believe we have something that you want. Perhaps we could arrange for a little exchange"

"To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" asked Anton as a wide grin formed across his face

"The name is Ward...Jack Ward, I am the Head field agent for the CIA"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	9. Chapter 9 Chapter 9

**Really trying hard not to make you wait too long between updates.**

M stood in the hall listening to the phone conversation between Jack and Anton and her blood began to run cold as she started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Good...I will contact you later with the time and place" replied Jack as he ended the conversation. He turned to see a rather pale M staring back at him with a look of disbelief spread across her face.

"M...Glad to see you up and around" he said as he started toward her.

M, visibly shaken, started to back away slowly as the tears started to stream down her cheeks once again.

"M...what is it?..What's wrong?" asked Jack, suddenly very concerned, as he quickly closed the distance between them and gently grasped her shoulders.

"You said you were his friend" she said angrily as she tried to break free from him

"I am"

"Then why...is this what you meant when you said the Russians hadn't cornered the market on double agents?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you planning to give me up in order to rescue James?"

Jack, suddenly realizing what she had heard, quickly pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"M...you've got the wrong end of the stick on this one" he said as he held her close "I will never let him anywhere near you and that's a promise" he said quietly

"But you just said..."

"I said I was willing to make an exchange, but not you. Come with me. I want you to meet someone" he said leading her to one of the other rooms

"M, I would like you to meet Susan Thomas, Agent Susan Thomas. Susan, this is M"

Standing before M was a woman, who from a distance, could easily be mistaken for M.

"This is who I will be exchanging for James" replied Jack, as he looked down at her, waiting for some sign that she understood what was happening

The relief on her face was obvious as she looked up at Jack with a look of total embarrassment written across her face.

"I'm sorry Jack. I don't know what's gotten to me" she said quietly

"After all you've been through, I'm surprised you even know what day it is. Don't worry about it" he said, trying to reassure her.

"So when and where will this exchange take place?" she asked

"Still undecided at the moment" he replied as he kept a firm grim around M "But one thing's for sure. You won't be anywhere near the action. My job is to keep you safe at all cost, so we will be moving you shortly to another safe house until this is all over" he said

"I want to be there"

"No way. James would have my head if anything were to happen to you"

"But he is MY agent, as well as my friend"

"And that is precisely why you can't be there. Look, we all know that when we have a personal stake in a mission, we tend not to think clearly no matter how hard we try. That is exactly why James asked for my help. He knew that, despite his best intentions, where you were concerned he might make a mistake that could cost him dearly, so please believe me when I say that this is for your own good" replied Jack in a calm but forceful tone

"But I am the Head of MI6...I should be there"

"I don't care if you are the Queen of Sheba, You will not be anywhere near there...END of discussion"

Mirrinov hung up the phone and turned to James with a rather wicked grin on his face.

"It would appear that your friends don't think as highly of M as they would have you believe"

"Oh...why do you say that?"

"Because that was one Jack Ward of the CIA wondering if I was interested in a little trade, You for M"

James knew Jack too well to believe that he would actually consider such a move, so he decided to play along with the story and act as though he believed it to be true.

"What's the matter Bond?...cat got your tongue?"

"I just didn't expect him to turn on me is all" replied James sounding disappointed

"Well just in case he is planning to try anything I had the call traced. I am quite certain that where ever this Jack Ward is I will find M as well" replied Anton as he motioned to one of his assistants "Find out where that call originated and watch closely. I assume that they are planning to move M and I want to know where"

"Why didn't you just disappear on your own. You have the resources, you didn't need M"

"It's not so much need as want. I always regretted not keeping her all those years ago, her beauty and my brains, we would have been unstoppable, and now after seeing her again..."

"She will never go willingly, you have to know that"

"You know they say in life there are no second chances, but when one presents itself, such as this, you would be surprised what people will do. M has the power to make the choice she chose to ignore all those years ago, and if it means a different outcome well then..."

"She would rather die than go with you..."

As James waited for yet another philosophic retort one of Anton's men came in and handed him a slip of paper.

"Very good" he said with a smile "Watch them closely and keep me advised"

You'll never get away with this!" Snapped James as he struggled against his restraints

"It won't be long now Mr. Bond. Just sit back and relax. If you behave I just might let you say goodbye to her"

"She won't go...not without a fight"

"Then she will suffer the same fate she did all those years ago...such a pity she's such a beautiful woman"

"Why do you really want her? Is it because she is the only one left who really knows what you did?...I mean seriously..the information you have can't be all that earth shattering or you would have used it to your advantage instead of offering it up like a Christmas Goose"

"You know Bond...You are too smart for your own good sometimes. I think that's why she loves you" he said with a laugh

There was a flurry of activity at the safe house as Jack's team was preparing for the first of two missions. The first was to get M out of harm's way and the second was to rescue James. M sat quietly in the corner observing as Jack barked out orders to his team members as to who would responsible for each part of the missions

"Alright...now that we all know what our respective duties are I want to make one thing clear. Mirrinov is one slippery bugger. He is the master of the double cross so don't take anything at face value. The second thing I want you all to remember is that no matter what happens, M is the top priority here. She is not to be left alone for any reason. I don't care if you have a nuclear bomb strapped to your ass, you disarm it and get her to safety" said Jack in an almost militaristic tone "And Susan...It won't take long for him to realize that you are not M so watch yourself. Dismissed"

Once the teams began to disperse Jack turned his attention to M.

"M, I'm sending you with Agents Connor and Booth. They will be with you until this is over" he said as he motioned to the two agents who were waiting at the door "Here...I trust you know how to use one of these?" he said handing her a small handgun

"Well I have to admit I'm not the best shot" she said taking the gun

"It's only in case of an emergency. Accuracy isn't really the point, it could buy some time if necessary" he replied as he guided her toward the door

"Jack I..." she started to say

Jack could tell by the look in her eyes that she was worried, and she had every reason to be as Mirrinov had never been known as one who played by the rules.

"Don't worry M" he said as he pulled her close and kissed her forehead tenderly "I'll bring him back in one piece, I promise"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	10. Chapter 10 Chapter 10

M was clearly uneasy about the decision to have her moved to a "new" safe house as she left with her new guards. What she really wanted more than anything was to be at the exchange with Jack, but being that that was totally out of the question, she did as she was told and went quietly with Agents Connor and Booth. When they arrived the safe house was really nothing more than a small hole in the wall, near the center of town. It was a small flat with a sitting room, a bed room, a kitchen and a bath. There was really only one way in so if Mirrinov attempted anything they would see it coming. She sat at the kitchen table with the gun Jack had given her lying in front of her, praying to God that she wouldn't have to use it, while the agents busied themselves with their computers and surveillance equipment.

"Can I get you anything?" asked Agent Connor as he walked into the kitchen

"No...Thank you though" she replied as she tried to hide her obvious boredom

"Would you like to listen in?"

"I would appreciate that" she said quietly "This is still our mission even if we are using your agents at the moment"

"Come on in and we'll get you fitted with an ear piece" replied Agent Booth with a smile "This must be really important to warrant having the boss as an agent on the mission"

"You could say that" she replied dryly

"Here we go, just put this in your ear"

Once she had the earpiece in place, Agent Booth brought up the monitor so she could see what was happening at the drop point.

The rest of the agents were headed to the drop point to make the exchange for James. Jack had positioned himself close enough to keep an eye on things and yet far enough away to be able to lend assistance to either team should the need arise. As the time for the exchange drew nearer, Jack found himself repeating the instructions to his team as though they were students on a training exercise. Every member of the two teams was an experienced agent, and Jack knew this, but this mission was different. This wasn't just any agent they were rescuing and this wasn't just any woman they were protecting. These were his friends.

"Is everyone ready?" Jack asked apprehensively

"Were ready here" replied one of the agents at the drop point

"All set here" came another reply

"And how are we at the safe house?" he asked "Is M listening?"

"We're all set here, and yes we've got her set up so she can monitor the situation" replied Agent Connor

"And you've checked to be sure the perimeter is secure?"

"Geez boss...You act like we've never done this before" said Booth, rolling his eyes

"I know...Sorry. I just want to be sure. This guy isn't like our usual targets. He's a product of the cold war...long before your time, which means he's a bit old school and doesn't necessarily rely on technology like you know it all's"

M couldn't help but giggle because she knew that Jack was right. In the old days they relied on their senses and the art of deception, not technology like a GPS and computers.

"Hang in there M...It's almost over" said Jack softly

M just nodded in acknowledgement of the sentiment as she waited.

It was a little over an hour before a car pulled up, about half a city block away from the car which contained Agent Thomas, who was posing as M. As the men at the other end of the street got out M cold clearly make out James and three guards, then an older man with gray hair and a white beard got out. As the camera zoomed in for a closer look the color suddenly drained from M's face , and she had a look of absolute panic written across her face.

"Ma'am...what is it?" asked Agent Booth

"That's not him" said M in a shaky voice "Tell Jack that's not Mirrinov...tell him now!"

"Boss...We have a problem" shouted Agent Connor

"What is it" replied Jack as Agent Thomas was beginning to be escorted down the street

"M says that's not Mirrinov!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S NOT MIRRINOV!" shouted Jack as he had the camera zoom in on the older man "OH CHRIST!" shouted Jack as he opened the door of the van he had been hiding in and began running

"BOSS...WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" shouted one of the other agents

"TO THE SAFE HOUSE" he shouted over his shoulder " THAT'S NOT HIM. MIRRINOV IS AFTER M!"

Jack could hear his team scrambling to adjust to the newest complication as he reached the second vehicle they had planted which was nearly a block away.

Agents Connor and Booth immediately ripped of their headsets and drew their guns as M sat somewhat stunned and for the first time genuinely frightened. She had heard what Jack said, but all she could think of was James.

"Ma'am...I think it would be better if you go in the bedroom" said Agent Booth as calmly as he could

M continued to keep her eyes glued to the monitor as the exchange was about to take place.

"MA'AM...I really think you should..." Agent Booth started to say they heard a loud POP and the door just seemed to fall off its hinges and the room began to fill with the all too familiar acrid smell of the acid compound used to disintegrate the metal.

Everything seemed to happen so fast. There were multiple shots fired as M ducked behind the sofa and crawled toward the kitchen. As the shots continued M managed to make it to the table, but not before a hand reached down and firmly gripped her wrist and she was roughly pulled to her feet only to find herself staring directly at Anton Mirrinov who had managed to capture her other wrist in the process. All she could feel was complete and total anger as she lunged at him, pounding on his chest.

Things weren't going so well at the drop point either as both sides quickly discovered that M wasn't M and Mirrinov wasn't Mirrinov and the entire scene erupted in gunfire with agents from both sides scattering like insects hiding behind cars, garbage cans and anything else they could find for cover. The last thing that M or Jack heard in their earpieces was "AGENT DOWN"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	11. Chapter 11 Chapter 11

**Ok...I know it's another cliffhanger, but not as bas as last time. I just thought you could use a moment to catch your breath :)**

The drop point was in total chaos as the smoke began to clear and it became more than evident that there was more than one agent down. Agent Thomas had taken a direct hit and lay motionless on the pavement as the rest of the team pursued the remainder of Mirrinov's men. James had managed to slip behind a wheelie bin and was feverishly working to free his hands so that he could find one of the American agents to get the location of the Safe house.

A few hours earlier, James had been strapped in a chair patiently waiting for Mirrinov to retrieve him and take him to the drop point for the exchange, but when the time came, the man who entered the room was not Anton Mirrinov.

"Mr. Bond I presume?" said the man dryly

"Who are you?...You're not Mirrinov" snapped James

"As a matter of fact I am. I am Sergei Mirrinov, Anton's brother"

"But what happened to Anton?...I thought he was going to take me..."

"Well you thought wrong. Anton is no fool. He knows that she won't be there, but he knows where she is and by the time this is over there won't be a thing you can do about it" he said in a most irritating tone

"What the hell do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean?" He isn't stupid enough to think that MI6 let alone the American Government would ever give her up so easily no matter what information he has"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because he wants you to suffer. He wants you to think about her, and what he may or may not do to her" replied Sergei with a sadistic laugh

"But why?...Why is he doing this to her?"

"Because she is the one who lived. Of all the agents he captured, tortured and killed, he chose to let her live, and I told him then it would be his downfall, but he wouldn't listen. There was something about her that made her special to him. Maybe it was her beauty, maybe it was her smile or maybe it was her defiant spirit who knows, but he let her live, in fact he made sure she lived. But now, her rejection of him has set him on a path of self destruction..."

"And he intends to take her with him I suppose" snapped James as he struggled against his restraints

"No...He intends to do what he should have done all those years ago"

James sat there silently as he let Sergei's words sink in. It's Silva all over again he thought only this time he isn't there to protect her. Now hours later James is struggling to free himself and praying he isn't too late. Once he finally freed himself he ran to Agent Thomas, she was alive, albeit a bit stunned by the impact of the bullets. Luckily she had been wearing a trench coat made entirely of bullet proof material so the bullets merely bounced off but the force sent her to the ground all the same.

"Are you all right?" asked James frantically

"Yes...yes I'm alright Mr. Bond.."

"Where is the Safe house?" he shouted

"What?..."

"The Safe house...Where is it"

"It's near the city centre I think..."

"You think or you know?"

"I'm...I'm not sure...they didn't tell me in case Mirrinov actually took me so I couldn't give it away" she said apologetically

"WELL WHO THE HELL KNOWS?" he snapped

"Rogers...Over there" she said pointing to one of the other agents

James immediately got up and ran toward Agent Rogers screaming hysterically as he ran. Once he reached Agent Rogers and told him what he wanted, the two of them found a motorbike and sped off in the direction of the Safe house.

Meanwhile, Jack sped toward the Safe house, ignoring nearly every stop sign and signal, careening around corners and at times driving on the sidewalk.

"Hold on M...I'm coming" he kept saying as he sped down the narrow streets

M had her own problems as she was now being firmly held in place by Anton as he smiled sadistically at her.

"LET ME GO" she hissed as she struggled against him

"And just why would I want to do that" he said as he pulled her closer "I've waited a long time to hold you in my arms again"

M continued to struggle, but he was too strong and the height difference made it nearly impossible for her to gain any leverage against him. She kept nervously glancing at the door hoping and praying that Agent Booth or Conner or even by some miracle James would appear.

"Waiting for someone?" he asked as he leaned down and began to roughly kiss her neck

"LET GO" she said through clenched teeth as she angrily pushed him away

"He won't come" said Anton as he shook her hard and stared into her amazing blue eyes "My men had orders to shoot him as soon as they started the exchange. He's dead" said Anton with a note of pleasure in his voice

"NO...NO HE CAN'T BE" she said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes

"You heard it yourself. Agent Down...who did you think they were talking about?" he asked with a wicked smile

"But why?" she asked in a tone barely above a whisper

"Because if I can't have you than no one will" he snapped as he shoved hard her toward the table

M turned slightly as she fell and put her hands out in front of her to catch herself as she landed hard against the table. As she did she spotted the gun Jack had given her on the floor. With one quick move she flung herself on the floor and crawled under the table and headed toward the gun. Anton, seeing what she was doing reached down and grabbed her ankle in an attempt to pull her back. She kicked and wiggled as she reached for the gun, but it was still too far away for her to grab so she rolled onto her back and kicked Anton in the face with her free foot causing him to let go just long enough for her to scoot close enough to grab the gun. As she turned around, Anton was crawling under the table after her and in one fluid motion she aimed the gun with one hand and pulled the trigger with the bullet striking Anton directly in the forehead. He made the most unforgettable gurgling sound just before his body landed on top of her legs. M sat there stunned for a moment as she stared at the lifeless body now laying on top of her. She gently eased her legs, which were now covered in blood along with the rest of the front of her, out from under Anton's and crawled as far away as the walls of the small kitchen would allow and proceeded to curl up in a fetal position with the gun on the floor beside her.

Jack's car screeched to a halt outside the safe house and he raced up the stairs with his gun in hand, but when he burst through the door he was horrified by what he saw. He quickly put his gun in the back of his waistband and stepped over the Anton's body throwing the table aside as he rushed to the motionless bloodied body of M lying in the corner. He gently shoved her gun aside and gently lifted her up and cradled her in his arms as he began rocking back and forth.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you" he said tearfully as he lightly kissed her forehead

"I should have been here!" he said angrily to himself

M's eyes fluttered slightly as she made a soft, moaning sound

"M...?"

"Jack...?" she said weakly as tears began to stream from her eyes

Jack reached down and tenderly began wiping away her tears as he held her closer

"It's alright...It's all over...He can't hurt you anymore" he said quietly as he kissed her temple

"James..."she managed to say "Where is James?"

All Jack could do was stare blankly at her with tears in his eyes because he truthfully didn't know the fate of his friend. M, seeing the pain on his face, reached up and placed her trembling hand on his cheek and pulled him closer so that his forehead was resting against hers as she closed her eyes and buried her head in his shoulder and began to cry. Jack held her close and continued to rock her until a noise caught his attention. As he looked up he saw Agent Rogers and James standing in the doorway. James stumbled toward them and fell to his knees, unable to speak and unable to take his eyes of M who was covered in blood. He reached out with a rather shaky hand and gently touched the top of her head as his eyes filled with tears.

"Hey" said Jack softly to M "There's someone here who I think would very much like to see you"

M opened her eyes a bit and slightly turned her head to see a nearly heartbroken James staring back at her.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	12. Chapter 12 Chapter 12

**Since next week is shaping up to be rather hectic I decided to update as much as possible while I have time, but I didn't think you would mind :)**

"It's alright James, she hasn't been shot, at least not that I can tell, she's just in shock" said Jack as he loosened his grip on M so she could turn to see James

M reached out to cup James' cheek as he took her arm and pulled her into his lap, cradling her in his arms as he placed soft kisses all over her face.

"Jesus M...I thought I lost you" he murmured into her hair "I never should have let you do this" he said angrily

M just closed her eyes and held on to James as if her life depended on it.

"I'll give you two a few minutes" said Jack as he prepared to stand

"No...Don't go" said M weakly as she reached out and grasped Jack's arm

"It's alright...I'm just going to see about getting us out of here" he replied with a smile as he patted her hand and stood up to leave the room.

"I really thought I had lost you this time" said James with a crack in his voice as he looked down at her and caressed her cheek.

"He told me you were dead" she said as she ran her fingers along his face with her thumb tracing his lips

"And you believed him?"

"Well what was I to think? All I heard was Agent Down, and Jack wasn't there to tell me it wasn't you"

"When this is over I intend to have a very long talk with Jack" replied James with a note of irritation in his voice as he leaned down and gently kissed her. "For God's sake, he told me you would be safe, that he wouldn't take his eyes off you.."

"James" said M as she struggled to sit up "Jack did exactly what he was supposed to do. I had two agents with me all the time. What else could he have done?" she asked

"He could have stayed with you!"

"Now you and I know that that just wasn't practical or possible." she said sharply

"The hell it wasn't. Why are you defending him?...He nearly got you killed!"

"You weren't at the Safe house. You didn't see how he took care of me, how he agonized over how to get you back, you didn't see how he..." she replied as her anger was beginning to build

"How he what?...How he fell for you" interrupted James

"Go to hell " said M as she pulled away from him

"Five seconds with him and you have feelings for him ... he was supposed to be protecting you"

" He did protect me, and yes... I have feelings for him, he risked his life to rescue me!"

"And a fine job he did, He nearly got you killed by leaving you in the hands of two incompetent idiots..."

"That's quite enough James!" hissed M as she got up and started toward the door

"And I suppose that my nearly getting myself killed means nothing" he said dryly as he stood up to follow her

M shot a look of both anger and pain at James as she made her way through what was left of the kitchen running directly into Jack.

"Hey...What's going on in here?" he asked, clearly noting the anger and hurt expressions on both James and M's faces

"Mind your own business" snapped James furiously as he brushed past them on his way out the door

"M?...What's going on?"

M just stared at Jack as her knees began to buckle. Jack quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. He let her cry out her frustration for a few minutes before he tenderly reached down and tilted her chin up to face him and placed a soft kiss to her lips, and whether it was exhaustion, frustration, anger or genuine attraction, M surprised even herself by responding to the kiss.

"Come on...let's get you out of here. I think you've had just about enough excitement for one day" he said softly as he led her from the flat.

Jack took M back to the hotel so she could collect her things. Given the circumstances she really didn't want to stay at the hotel any longer than necessary. James had chosen to return on the motorbike that he and Agent Rogers had commandeered and was already in the room when they arrived.

"I'll give you some time to pack before we head back to the Safe house" said Jack quietly.

"Safe House my arse " replied James sarcastically

"That's enough James" snapped M

"Look...I don't know what's happened between you two, but I suggest you work it out" replied Jack as he headed toward the door

James and M stared at him as though they were school children being reprimanded by the headmaster.

Jack gently took hold of M shoulders and lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes "I mean it! You two have been through too much together to fall apart now" he said as he leaned in and kissed her forehead before he left.

"And just what the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?" asked James angrily

"It means that I've been acting a fool" she replied softly

James, confused by her statement gave her a curious look before he went back to packing, angrily tossing his belongings into his bag.

"James"

"What?"

"Would you hold me?" she asked in a rather shaky voice as she turned to look at him with a look that could have stopped time

Without a second thought, James instantly crossed the room and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. He could feel her trembling as he held her and he suddenly began to feel like a first class idiot.

"We're quite a pair" he said quietly as he continued to hold her tightly

M nodded in agreement as she rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat as she began to play with the buttons of his shirt.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier" said James as he lightly placed a kiss to her temple

"Let's not talk about it right now" she replied as she finally started to relax in his arms

"We need to get you out of those clothes" said James, referring to the blood stained clothing M was wearing

"You've been waiting this entire mission to say that haven't you" she replied with a suspicious and yet playful smile

"Well now that you mention it..."

"I suppose you're right" she replied as she released her grip and started toward the bathroom "About changing clothes I mean"

"Look if you want to stay here tonight and catch a flight out tomorrow..."

"No thank you" she said in such a tone that there could be no mistaking what she meant "I didn't really want to come back here at all, but being that this is where my luggage is located, I did not seem to have much choice"

"So I take it that you still want to stay at the Safe house...with Jack" replied James with a hint of jealousy in his voice

"You're not going to go on about that again are you?"

"You're the one who brought it up" he said defensively

"Look!" she said turning to face him with her hands on her hips "It is true that I have very definite feelings for Jack, In fact I kissed him because I was angry at you, however..." she said as she slowly closed the distance between them until she was standing directly in front of him "I happen to love you and he could never replace you" she said as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. As she released him she looked up into his amazing blue eyes "alright?"

"Yes" was all he could manage to say as he began to nuzzle her neck, planting soft kisses along her collar bone.

"Enough of that" she said as she playfully slapped at his arm "Why don't you call and bring Mallory up to speed while I change"

"Now that's a sure fire way to kill a mood" he replied sounding a bit disappointed

"Sorry, but duty first" she replied as she disappeared into the bathroom

Once M had changed and packed they headed down to meet Jack.

"Well from the looks of you two, you seem to have worked out you differences" said Jack as he put his arm around M's shoulder

"Yes...we have" replied James as he promptly removed Jacks arm and replaced it with his own, pulling M a bit closer.

"Alright you two" scolded M "That's enough"

"Fine ...I get the picture...You don't trust her with me" said Jack with a laugh "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes" replied M as she linked her free arm with Jacks while wrapping her other arm around James' waist.

"Christ...we look like we should be skipping down the yellow brick road" muttered James as they headed out the door

As James was putting the luggage in the car, M pulled Jack aside.

"Jack...when we get to the Safe house, would it be possible to speak to you alone? I think there is something we need to discuss before James and I leave tomorrow" she whispered

"Sure...I think that can be arranged" he replied with a curious grin

TO BE CONTINUED...


	13. Chapter 13 Chapter 13

**Taking advantage of my day off. Hope you enjoy, even though it is another cliffhanger :)**

Jack, James and M arrived at the American Safe house a short time later and began settling in for the evening. The space was cramped due to the number of British and American agents but it was necessary to have everyone together to begin the final debriefing for the mission. The British agents had been found unharmed earlier in the day several miles away tied up in an abandoned factory and the American agents had a total of four minor injuries, which was surprising considering the chaos at both the drop point and the second Safe house. Agents Boon and Connor had managed to track down and detain both of Anton Mirrinov's guards from the Safe house while the agents at the drop point had killed two guards and detained a total of nine more including Sergei Mirrinov.

"Where are they now?" asked M in her usual business tone

"They are safely tucked away in the custody of the American Government, waiting to be processed" replied Jack

"And Mirrinov...Sergei I mean, Where is he?" asked James in a somewhat disgusted tone

"Ah...well you see..." started Jack

"Well I see what? Either you have him or you don't!"

"It's not quite that simple" said Jack as he turned to look at the now clearly agitated James

"You don't really have him do you?" said M quietly

"M...Sometimes things aren't always what they appear to be" replied Jack as he reached over and took her hand

M flinched slightly at his touch as she leaned into James, who could sense her uneasiness and instinctively put his arm around her.

"Why don't you enlighten use a bit..." said James tersely

"Suppose I let him explain it for himself" said Jack as he stood up and opened the door to the next room.

James and M were stunned when they looked up to see Sergei Mirrinov staring back at them with a slightly apprehensive smile.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE!" hissed James

""Hold your horses James. It isn't what you think" replied Jack firmly "Let him explain"

Sergei crossed the room and knelt in front of M and took her hand as he nodded to James

"GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF HER" snapped James

"My apologies...I know that this must be difficult…for you especially" he said looking at M "My brother was a monster, and what he did all those years ago and what he was attempting to do now is unforgivable"

M continued to stare intently at Sergei with her usual stoic expression as he continued to caress her hand and explain.

"I've known for years that he was unbalanced, and in my younger days I was a lot like him unfortunately, I had hoped that he was past that now and at his age he would no longer be a threat to anyone, but in the past few months he had become obsessed with finding the one who lived...You. At first I thought it was just talk but these last few weeks he had become more determined. You see my brother was suffering from the early stages of dementia and he was having trouble distinguishing the past from the present..."

"You don't say" said James sarcastically as he kept his protective hold on M "What's this got to do with M?" he asked bluntly

"When it was clear that he intended to go after her, I had no other choice than to go along with his plan to ensure that he would be stopped once and for all. I had hoped that we could take him peacefully but that was clearly not the case as you well know."

"I'm afraid I still don't understand" replied M

"Sergei is part of the Russian Intelligence team. He is an advisor and their main priority is to track down and neutralize any remnants of the former KGB." replied Jack

"So you're a double agent"

"Not exactly...I've been granted immunity for my assistance in finding these people and bringing them in"

"But he was your bloody brother...you knew where he was...why didn't you just make him your first target?" asked James angrily

"Because his influence was far reaching. We needed him to find the others that were still loyal to him" he replied quietly

"If you knew he was unbalanced then why did you allow him to come after me? Why didn't you stop him?" asked M sharply as she pulled her hand back

"I was supposed to be the one who came to get you, but Anton changed his mind at the last minute and decided to do it himself"

"If that's the case then why didn't you tell me" asked James suspiciously

"There was no time, and the guards at the hotel were loyal to Anton so I couldn't take the chance of being discovered" replied Sergei

"Jack...What were you thinking? She could have been killed" shouted James as he glared at his friend

"She was never supposed to be alone with him..." replied Jack defensively

"The guards that were with him were there to neutralize him, but your guards got in the way unfortunately and they were unable to complete their task" said Sergei glancing at Jack

"Don't you think you should have given these two knob heads a heads up as to what was happening?" hissed James

M just sat in silence shaking her head in disbelief. She honestly didn't know what to believe. Jack was supposed to protect her and instead he deliberately sent her into harm's way, Sergei should have been arrested years ago and prosecuted for crimes against humanity and instead was working with the Russian government tracking down old spies and James, who apparently was the only one who actually cared about her at all, ended up being held hostage by a madman.

"I'm sorry, but am I the only one who sees a giant flaw in this plan?" asked James

"James…" started Jack before being interrupted by M

"I think I've heard enough" she said as she rose from the sofa and headed toward her room

"M?" said James as he rose and followed her down the hall

"I don't want to talk about it right now" she said as she entered her room and shut the door in his face.

James stood outside the door with a rather bewildered and yet angry look on his face. The whole point of his being on this mission was to protect her and he had failed miserably.

Jack stood in the doorway of the small hall watching James for a moment before he started toward him.

"James…I don't know what to say…When you called me asking for my help I ran it past my superiors and it was an opportunity we just couldn't pass up" said Jack quietly

"So you took advantage of our friendship…Damn it Jack…You knew how important this was to me…You knew full well that if you had told me what you intended to do I never would have agreed…"

"But you see that's just the point…"

"What is?"

"It really wasn't up to you, my superiors contacted Gareth Mallory and he is the one who authorized this joint mission…albeit after the fact"

"That slimy little bastard…just wait till I see him…I'll ring his scrawny neck"

"And as for Sergei…he over exaggerated his past a bit" said Jack

"What do you mean?"

"He was an underling during his brother's heyday, he never really did anything but drive the vehicles. He was never allowed to be involved in the really messy parts"

"So that's why the immunity" replied James nodding his head

"So how is she really?" asked Jack changing the subject as he tilted his head toward M's door

"I don't know truthfully. She tends to shut people out when she is really upset which is not to say that she won't kick your arse up one side and down the other when she's really angry. You will find that with M there is a huge difference between upset and angry."

"Tell you what…why don't you go get a drink and relax for a bit and let me have a try…Besides I have a lot of groveling and apologizing to do and I would just as soon not have an audience"

"Fair enough, but just remember, Hands to Yourself" replied James in a half sarcastic half serious tone

As James walked back down the hall, Jack stood outside the door for a few seconds, taking a few deep breaths before he finally lightly knocked on the door.

"M?' he said quietly "May I come in?" he asked

There were a few moments of silence before he eventually heard her unlock the door and pull it open a few inches so that he could enter.

M stood with her back to him with her arms wrapped around herself as he entered and quietly shut the door behind him. He waited to see if she would turn to face him, but when it became clear that this wasn't going to happen he slowly came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her back into him.

"I am so truly, deeply sorry for all of this" he said softly

"There is nothing to be sorry for. It is the nature of this business and it is a side that I haven't had to deal with for a very long time" she said as she leaned back against him. "I think that as administrators we tend to forget certain aspects of this job, I in particular because I am rarely in the field much anymore. You on the other hand see this first hand all the time…"

"That doesn't mean I like it or agree with it" he replied with a note of sadness in his voice

"True, but it is what it is, and had the roles been reversed, I would have done the same thing" she said turning to face him

"Can you and James ever forgive me?" he asked hesitantly as he stared intently into her eyes

"I forgive you" she said with a slight smile "And as far as James…well… you just leave him to me"

"You really do love that cheeky little pip squeak don't you" he said with a laugh

"Yes…which is why I have an apology of my own. I never should have kissed you back at the other Safe house. It wasn't fair to use you. I was hurt and angry and you were there and well…"

Jack put his finger to her lips, silencing her.

"I understand…heat of the moment thing…not that I minded" he replied with a mischievous grin as he gave her a playful squeeze

M just smiled as she stood up on her tip toes to give him a light, friendly kiss. Innocent as the kiss was, the timing left a lot to be desired as this happened to be the moment that James opened the door to find Jack with his arms around M, and M kissing Jack.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	14. Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Both Jack and M were startled by the sound of the door and turned to see James staring at them with a look of total disbelief and anger.

"James…this isn't what it looks like" said Jack as he quickly released M

"Then what the hell is it" replied James thru clenched teeth "Groveling and apologizing my arse…you just wanted to be alone with her so you could…"

"Could what?" asked M as she took a step toward him

"How could you!" he said, taking a step back

"James…pleased let me explain" said M

"Oh I don't think there is much need for explanation…I have eyes, I can see what's going on"

"As usual my friend, you've got the wrong end of the stick" said Jack

"No…I don't think so"

"James it was just an innocent kiss…nothing more" explained M

"You call it what you want. I know what I saw."

"This is ridiculous…" said M throwing up her hands "I owe him my life and…"

"And I suppose I did nothing…is that what you're trying to say? He's the one who rescued you from the hotel, and he's the one who go to you first at the Safe house while I was just sitting on my arse enjoying the scenery"

"I never said that" she snapped with a hurt look on her face

"You didn't have to" replied James as he stormed out of the room

M turned to Jack with a look of total confusion and pain as tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Oh Jack…What have I done?" she said with a crack in her voice

"Oh NO he doesn't!" replied Jack angrily as he headed toward the door "He doesn't get to waltz in here and make accusations and then walk away" he said as he stormed out of the room after James

By the time Jack had made it to the sitting room, James was already out the front door and headed down the street. Jack ran nearly a full block before catching up to James and forcefully grabbing his arm, spinning him around. Thankfully Jack was a trained agent as he ducked, narrowly missing the punch James threw at him. Jack's self-defense training kicked in and within moments the two were locked in an all-out brawl which brought them both to the ground with Jack eventually pinning James on his back.

"Now listen here you little spoiled, pain in the ass…We need to get a few things straight!" shouted Jack as James struggled beneath him

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say" said James angrily

"I don't give a shit what you're interested in. It's one thing for you to be pissed off at me and treat me like crap…Hell if I were in your shoes I would probably do the same thing, but you do NOT get to treat M like that, not now…not ever DO YOU HEAR ME?" shouted Jack angrily as he brought his face down so that he was nose to nose with James

"Isn't that special…You're defending her honor" replied James sarcastically

"Please don't make me beat the crap out of you" said Jack in an annoyed tone

"Why? Afraid it will spoil your dinner plans?"

"Look, If and it's a big IF, but if I let you go will you at least listen to me?"

"What are my other choices" asked James

"I snap your neck, and run off with your girl" replied Jack with a wink as he loosened his grip on James

Jack moved to sit beside him on the sidewalk as James sat up, rubbing his neck and wrists.

"So…are you ready to listen" asked Jack in a serious tone

"Do I have a choice?" replied James with an edge to his voice

"I know what you thought you saw, but you're wrong. M's a beautiful, intelligent woman there's no denying that, and any man would be lucky to have her, but there's just on tiny little problem"

"Oh and what's that?" asked James

"She's in love with some arrogant, self -absorbed little pain in the ass, that's what!"

James gave Jack a look with skepticism written all over it.

"Do you want to know what happened when she woke up in the Safe house? After I pinned her down so she wouldn't hurt herself, one of the first things she asked about was YOU, and when I got to her at the second Safe house and I thought she was dead, I held her in my arms blaming myself, the first thing she said wasn't "It's ok, don't worry about it, I'm ok" NO it was where is James" said Jack in an almost disgusted tone

James felt himself sinking lower and lower until he felt like he was about an inch high.

"You have no idea what you've got. That amazing woman for some unknown reason loves you, and she would never hurt you. I'll admit that for about a half second I thought about giving you a run for your money, but then I saw you with her and how she, and it pains me to say it, adores you. Her eyes light up whenever you're around and she genuinely seems happy. Don't screw this up you big fool" said Jack as he gave James a slap on the back of the head as he stood up

"I think I already have" replied James sadly

"She'll forgive you, just give her some time to cool down"

"You don't know M."

"Tell you what…there's a little bar just around the corner. Why don't we go grab a drink and then go back so you can crawl back to her on your hands and knees and beg for forgiveness…women love that kind of stuff" replied Jack with a laugh

"I hope you're right" said James as he stood up and dusted himself off before the two of them headed down the street toward the bar.

After a few hours and more than a few drinks Jack and James stumbled back to the Safe house. James had jumped a fence along the way and stolen a few roses from someone's front lawn along the way in hopes of apologizing with a little style in nothing else.

As he made his way down the hall, James was somewhat surprised to see that M's door was open but as he got to the door he was shocked to find the room completely empty. James immediately turned and stormed back down the hall to the sitting room where a few agents were playing cards.

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Don't play stupid…you know who" replied James angrily

"She made a call and had Agents Boon and Connor take her to the airport" answered one of the agents

"Why the hell would she want to go to the…"

"What's the problem?" asked Jack as he rounded the corner

"You and your great ideas. She's gone" replied James as he began pacing around the room

"What do you mean gone?" asked Jack just as the door opened and Agents Booth and Connor returned

"Where is M? Where has she gone?" asked James furiously

"She called the airport and had them ready her plane shortly after you left. She's gone back to England. She asked if we could be so kind as to drop you off on our way back to the U.S." replied agent Boon

James stopped dead in his tracks and just glared at Jack.

"Don't worry Jimmy…We'll fix this" said Jack as he picked up the phone and dialed the airport to arrange a flight for the next day.

TO BO CONTINUED...


	15. Chapter 15 Chapter 15

**I apologize. I really wasn't going to make this one a cliffhanger, but who knew that apologizing would be so wordy. I had to break this chapter up or it would be a novel not a chapter :)**

The following morning James was up at the crack of dawn annoying the hell out of Jack and the other agents by demanding that they "Hurry up" so they could leave.

"James…for God's sake would you please sit down" snapped Jack as he continued to pack up his gear

"Sorry Jack, but I have to get back to London" replied James in an anxious tone

"I realize that, but you have to realize that we have certain things we have to finish before we can leave. This is what we call the "Business" end of the job…something you apparently know nothing about. M has spoiled you to the point that you go, you shoot, you score and you go home…never mind the cleanup and paperwork that goes on long after your precious head has hit your pillow"

"Look, I'm not stupid you know. I realize that there's a lot of things that go on after the fact but…"

"Yes…things that M is responsible for just like me, so if you don't mind, and you really want to get back in a reasonable amount of time, would you please just go occupy yourself the other room until I'm finished" replied an exasperated Jack "And while you're in there why don't you rehearse what you're going to say to her. It has to be perfect, and for God's sake sincere if she's ever going to believe you"

"Fine!" grumbled James as he sauntered off toward the kitchen

It took Jack and his agents the better part of two hours before they had finished up with the last details and were finally ready to leave.

"All set?" asked James as Jack rounded the corner

"Yep. Let's go get your girl back" replied Jack with a wink

"Yeah…about that…I really don't think that M would appreciate being called my  
"GIRL", she's much too sophisticated for that."

"Well what would you like me to call her? You're "Old Lady"?"

"Only if you have a death wish" replied James with a grin "Why don't we just stick to "My Boss" for the moment and let her pick her own term of endearment"

"Now that's the first good idea you've had all day. Alright team…Let's move out" shouted Jack as they all began filing out of the Safe house and into the vehicles waiting to take them to the airport.

The flight back to London took longer than expected due to weather delays, but it gave Jack and James plenty of time to talk and discuss the best course of action as far as M was concerned.

"Well I still say that you need to march yourself into her office and beg for her forgiveness" said Jack

"Yeah but you don't know M like I do. Trust is everything to her and the fact that it appeared that I didn't trust her is like breaking a cardinal rule in her book. I couldn't have hurt her more if I had shot her myself" said James staring at the floor

"James, I'm going to tell you this as a friend. Just be honest with her. Tell her how you feel about her…"

"I have, but I don't think she really, truly believed me"

"Then make her" replied Jack

Once the plane had landed James headed straight for MI6 headquarters. If nothing else, M was dedicated to the point of near obsession with her job and it would be highly unlikely that she would actually follow protocol and subject herself to the mental and physical exams required for ALL agents upon return from a mission. As he entered the office he saw Eve busily typing away and Bill was closing the door to M's office.

"Well well if it isn't the prodigal agent home at last" said Eve with a smirk

"Ha ha…very funny…Is she in?" he asked

"No… as a matter of fact she arrived last night, had a rather heated phone conversation with Mallory and left saying that she was taking a few days off and not to contact her" replied Bill with a rather perplexed look

"Why the look?" asked James quizzically

"Well you know M, nothing EVER rattles her, she has nerves of steel, but she seemed almost well… she just seemed to be in a rather fragile state"

"I'm not surprised, she's been through a lot in the last seventy two hours" replied James "Don't worry, I'll check on her. You don't happen to know if she's been down to medical to be checked out do you."

"I suggested it, which was a big mistake by the way, and she hasn't"

"Don't worry. I'll see that she gets the attention she needs" replied James as he turned and left the office.

James headed for M's flat, but first he stopped by his own flat for a shower and a badly needed shave. If he was going to convince her of anything he needed to look his best. It was getting late when James arrived at M's flat. He could tell she was home by the lights that were on in the flat. As he stood outside the door he silently rehearsed the speech he had been working on all the way home before he finally knocked. He could hear her moving around in the flat and patiently waited and waited before she finally peaked thru one of the small windows that lined each side of the door. He could tell instantly by the look in her eyes that she was most definitely NOT happy to see him and when she opened the door his suspicions were confirmed.

"007…what's this? Ringing the doorbell like a normal person instead of just breaking in" she said sarcastically

"I…"

"What do you want?"

"May I come in?" he asked

"It's rather late. I'll see you in my office on Monday morning" she snapped as she attempted to shut the door

"M…All due respect we need to talk, and either you let me in or I'm going to start shouting your real name as loud as I can until you do" he snapped back

"You really are a petulant child aren't you!" she said as she unhappily opened the door just far enough to let him in. "Shut the door behind you" she said dryly as she headed toward the sitting room

James did as he was told and shut the door before he followed her. M poured herself a drink, and sat on the sofa, making it plain that she did not intend to offer James one as well.

"Do you mind if I pour myself one?" he asked, attempting to discern her mood

"Yes…as a matter of fact I do." She replied as she glared at him "anyway you won't be here long enough to drink it"

"Right then…well..."

"What is it that you want?" she asked bluntly

The coolness in her tone was hard to miss and James was beginning to have serious second thoughts about trying to have this particular conversation at this moment. "I'm here" he thought to himself "May as well get it over with"

"I just wanted to apologize for acting like a complete horses arse" said James as he moved to kneel in front of her

M did everything but stare at the ceiling to avoid his gaze as he continued to speak.

"I had no right to treat you the way I did and I should have…"

"I'm not one of your possessions" she said sharply "You don't own me"

"I know" replied James quietly as he sank back on his feet with his hands in his lap

"This all boils down to the fact that you don't trust me" she said sharply

"That's not true" he said defensively

"Oh really! You could have fooled me by the way you have been acting" she snapped

"Yeah about that…The reason for my unforgivable behavior is…well…" James suddenly found himself at a loss for words as he looked into her eyes "I've never loved anyone like I love you and it's …well it's hard to explain" he said, stumbling over his words

"And just what way would that be?" she asked curiously

"Unconditionally" he finally said

"Unconditionally…That's rich…you really should look up the proper definition of that word before you go slinging it about in your everyday language"

"Look, I'm trying to be honest here. It wasn't that I didn't trust you…It was that I was jealous…"

"You don't say"

"I was just jealous of the fact that it was him and not me that was there to protect you, and rescue you and hold you in the aftermath of this half-baked mission" he replied

"I see" she said, not sounding the least bit convinced

"I don't think you do. I love you M, why can't you accept that?"

"I think I've heard enough"

"What is this really about?" he asked rather bluntly as he leaned forward and placed his arms on either side of her, thus preventing her from getting up

"I don't know what you mean" she said angrily

"Yes you do. This isn't like you. I've seen you stare down dictators and various heads of state along with terrorists and lunatics without so much as batting an eye, but I have never seen you back down, let alone run"

"Who says I'm running" she said, raising her voice

"Well…aren't you. You didn't even hardly let the door shut before you called and had the plane fueled and ready to leave, without me, I might add"

"I saw no point in discussing the matter further as you had made it more than clear how you felt!" she snapped

"NO POINT!"

"Oh God this is just like last time" she said under her breath

"What are you talking about? What last time? You mean 40 years ago?"

"I don't want to talk about it" she said as her eyes began to fill with tears

"M…don't shut me out" he said tenderly "You know, you do this whenever anyone or anything gets too close you shut them out"

"No I don't" she said defensively as she began to push against his shoulders in an attempt to get up

James quickly moved to wrap his arms around her, holding her so tight that she could barely breathe.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted

"I'm not letting you go" he said bluntly "I'm going to hold you until you tell me what's really going on inside that beautiful little head of yours"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	16. Chapter 16 Chapter 16

**Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement. I had to end this chapter this way if I wanted to do anymore chapters. You'll see why when you get to the end :)**

M began to shake uncontrollably as James continued to keep a tight grip on her

"M…What is it? What happened?" he asked softly as he rested his chin on the top of her head

"My husband" she finally managed to choke out

"What about him?"

James loosened his grip slightly so that he could pull back and look at her

"What about your husband?" he asked again

"He never understood…He never forgave me" she said quietly as she closed her eyes and turned her head away

"Never forgave you for what?"

After a long pause M started to speak.

"When Anton killed Maxwell…he…he didn't just kill him, he made me watch" She said with tears in her eyes. "When David came to see me at the hospital after I had been rescued, he was repulsed by what he saw. I was bandaged from head to toe and for the first few days I was unconscious, I had nightmares and I kept asking for Maxwell, and David put two and two together and got five. He assumed that I was having an affair, and when I finally was able to come home he couldn't stand to look at me. He told me that he would never trust me again and other than the occasional one off when he was drunk, he never touched me again. We stayed together for the children, but after they had left, he moved into the guest room"

James was completely stunned by what he was hearing and moved to sit beside her, pulling her to him as he continued to listen.

"I loved him, but he didn't trust me anymore and there certainly wasn't any love left. In the end we were nothing more than flat mates who happened to share two children" she said sadly as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

James loosened his grip and reached to cup her cheek, forcing her to look at him as he leaned in and gently kissed her

"He was a bloody fool" said James as he pulled back and wiped away her tears before wrapping his arms around her and holding her in a firm and protective embrace.

"I never meant to make you feel like I didn't love you or trust you" he said apologetically

"If my own husband couldn't trust me, couldn't love me, then how could I expect you to?" she said sounding almost defeated

"I trust you…That's WHY I love you" he whispered in her ear

"But you never…I know that I'm an old woman. I'm not young, beautiful or sexy, I'm old and damaged. I don't blame you for not wanting to touch me" she said quietly, avoiding his gaze

"Not wanting to touch you? I just didn't want to pressure you" replied James as he began placing delicate kisses all over her face "I told you before that I would let it be your decision as to when you were comfortable with me touching you, but to be quite honest, It's all I've been able to think about, and as far as damaged goes, you're no more damaged than I am" he said with the most sincere half smile

M reached up and pulled his head down and rested her forehead against his.

"Thank you…for saying that I mean, you didn't have to." She said quietly

James, a bit stunned by her statement released his grip slightly and stood up pulling her with him.

"What are you doing?" she asked sounding confused

"I've changed my mind" he said flatly as he reached down and swept her off her feet

"What do you mean you've changed your mind? Put me down" she demanded

"Nope. I've decided I just don't have the energy to wait for you to make a decision anymore because, we all know that if left up to you, we will still be debating this issue at Christmas time" he said as he started toward the door

"And just where are you taking me" she asked with a hint of panic in her voice

"You're bedroom, at our ages the sofa isn't the most practical location for these sorts of things" he said with a wink

"James…Please…" she pleaded as he marched up the stairs

When they arrived in her bedroom he gently put her down and took her hands in his.

"M" he began "I love you. I have told you this over and over, and after listening to what you had to say, I understand why you are having a hard time believing me" he said as he took a step closer "Give me a chance to prove to you that you are worth being trusted and above all else loved" he said as he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

M was somewhat startled by his rather bold statement, but she soon found herself responding to the kiss, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his shoulder as his lips moved from her lips to her neck.

James had managed to shed his jacket, shirt, tie and shoes as he gently guided her toward her bed, only breaking contact with her long enough to pick her up and lay her back against the pillows before resuming his kisses.

"James…" She said breathlessly "I don't know if I…It's been a long time and I …" she started to say

"Hey…" he said as he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand "It's not a race…we can take it as slow as you want." He said reassuringly

The rest of the evening and well into the wee small hours of the morning James and M spent time getting to know each other, their likes and dislikes and in general exploring each other. James knew that M was exhausted, she had hardly slept in the last seventy two hours so he was very careful not to pressure her, letting her decided how much she could handle and M just enjoyed the physical closeness, occasionally letting out a soft moan and at James' gentle prodding allowing him to love her. To James it wasn't about the sex, he knew that sooner or later M would relax, it was about self-worth and reassurance that she was worthy of being loved, and he was going to make damn sure that she never doubted herself again.

It was nearing 6:00 am when M looked over to see James, with his arms wrapped securely around her and a smile on his face. She had a hard time not laughing as he looked like a small child on Christmas night clutching his most prized toy he had received that morning. James began to stir and opened his eyes to find M staring at him with one of her all too infrequent radiant smiles.

"Good morning" he said leaning over to kiss her forehead

"Hello" she said softly as she snuggled closer

"Sleep well?" he asked as he shifted a bit so that he could cuddle with her

"Yes…what little bit I slept" she said teasingly

"I wasn't too pushy was I?"

"No of course not. You were a perfect gentleman, Thank you for that by the way" she said

"Like I said, it's not a race."

"James" she said, suddenly sounding very serious"

"Yes"

"I know this isn't exactly the time or place for this, but we really need to talk about Jack" she said hesitantly

"What about him" replied James sounding a bit annoyed at the mention of his friend's name

"I just wanted to explain" she started to say

"No need. Jack already explained it to me, in great detail, as he had me pinned on my back on the sidewalk" replied James with a grin

"What?"

"Jack explained the whole situation to me, and I completely understand. You and Jack are a lot alike, and you share a special, professional bond that I can't begin to comprehend. The pressure of your jobs, having to keep agents like me in line, well… It's exhausting to say the least, not to mention the amount of paperwork we create and all. It's no wonder that he fell for you. You understand him, and he understands you" he said almost matter of fact" but then again, you have a way about you that makes it damn near impossible not to fall for you."

M wasn't sure whether to be flattered or angry at James' sudden cavalier attitude

"I see" she said skeptically

"Look, I get it. The first time you kissed him you were angry at me, that was my fault for acting like a spoiled brat, and the second time was more or less a thank you, or an I understand how you feel sort of thing and again I got it wrong and behaved like a child."

"So what changed your mind if I may ask?" she said curiously

"Jack. He pointed put how lucky I am to have you, and he pointed out how much you love me, and how much I love you, AND he said if I didn't at least listen to what he had to say he threatened to snap my neck and run off with "My Girl"

"Your Girl?"

"Yeah…I told him you wouldn't like being called that"

"I should say not"

"Well I have to say it is preferable to his other option" replied James with a mischievous grin

"Oh and what was that?"

"Well let's just say that it's an American term of endearment and leave it at that"

"Oh I see, and what did you decide to call me?"

"Well I had thought about my" Boss", but that sounded to business like, and then I thought about my "Lady Friend", but that just sounds like I have something to hide, and I thought about "Darling"," Hunni" or "Sweetheart", but in the end I decided that there was one that I particularly liked that is nearly perfect if you approve"

"Oh and what was that" she asked as she shifted herself up to look into his eyes

"I was thinking "Wife" has a nice ring to it" he said looking at her, trying to read her expression.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	17. Chapter 17 Chapter 17

M just stared at James with a look of both shock and disbelief written across her face.

"What did you say?" she asked in a rather shaky voice

"You heard me. I said I think "Wife" has a rather nice ring to it" he replied with a hint of amusement. It wasn't often he could render his boss speechless and he was enjoying every second of this

"Don't you think this is a bit sudden" she finally said as she sat up and pulled the blankets up around her

"No. I've wanted to ask you for a long time, but we're so busy and we hardly have any time alone anymore. It seems that I just get home from a mission and I'm back out in the field within days"

"Well I know we've been busy but…"

"You love me don't you?"

"Yes, but that's not the point" she replied

"Then just what is the Point?"

"I….I…"

"Look, I'm not wasting any more precious time. I love you, I want to be with you, now more than ever. I want to protect you, love you and whet ever else goes along with this, so are you in or out?" he asked bluntly

"Well I have to admit it's not the most romantic proposal I've ever received" she said as she leaned over and kissed him tenderly "But as proposals go, it will do" she said with a smile

"And just how many proposals have you had" he asked curiously

"Wouldn't you like to know" she said casting him a wicked grin

James sat up and put his arm around her and pulled her back to lean against the pillows with a grin from ear to ear on his face."

"Good, now that that's settled, I was thinking about a small, casual thing with Eve and Bill and of course your children if you want"

"It won't matter to them. We don't seem to get on very well, so where they are concerned it really makes no difference" she said quietly

"Well we'll see about that. You're their mother, and if you want them there then they'll be there" he said lightly kissing her temple

"You really have given this a lot of thought haven't you?" she said with a smile

"I had a lot of time on the flight back"

"What about Jack?" she asked half teasing and half serious

"What about him?"

"Well it would be only fitting that he should be there since he's the one who put this idea in your head"

"He did not!"

M pulled back and gave him one of her famous "I don't believe a word you're saying" glares

"Ok maybe he did suggest, in his own not so subtle way, that I needed to make a decision where you are concerned, but it was still my idea" he said defensively

M leaned back into James arms, shaking her head and smiling. It wasn't even 7:00 am and the rest of her future had already been decided, and for the first time in a very long time she was happy. Completely and totally happy.

James and M stayed in bed for a while longer just enjoying each other's company when James finally started to become restless.

"Something wrong?' asked M sleepily

"No…I was just wondering if you fancied any breakfast?"

"I hadn't really given it much thought actually. For some reason I have other things on my mind" she said with a smile

"Well how about I pop downstairs and cook up something and bring it up to you"

"You don't have to do that. I can go down and fix something for us"

"No! You stay right where you are. You've had an extraordinarily horrendous couple of days and you deserve to have lay in." he said firmly as he untangled himself from her and got up

"You had better be careful 007…I could get used to this" she said playfully

"I was counting on that" he said with a wink

M could hear James clattering around in the kitchen and eventually the scent of bacon began to waft up the stairs. Since she wasn't particularly tired she decided to go down and give him a hand. She was partially down the stairs when James popped around the corner and stood at the bottom of the stairs with an expression she just couldn't quite pin down on his face.

"Something wrong?" she asked sounding worried

"No" he said quietly as he continued to stare "It's just with the sunlight behind you, you look like an angel" he finished as he climbed the stairs and gently backed her against the wall and kissed her.

"James" she said as she rested her forehead against his "You haven't hit your head have you?"

"No why?"

"Because angels are young, beautiful, flawless creatures and I just simply do fit that bill in any way, shape or form"

"You do in my eyes" he replied as he put his arm around her and escorted her down the stairs. "I thought you were going to stay in bed and let me wait on you hand and foot?"

"Well I was, but the smell of bacon was just too tempting" she said with a grin

"Alright. You can come down as long as you just watch and let me do the cooking and clean up after" he said with a bit of mock annoyance in his tone

"Deal" she replied as she leaned up and kissed his cheek and then headed into the kitchen

M sat at the table and watched while James basically destroyed her kitchen as he finished cooking.

"Breakfast is served" he said proudly as he place her plate in front of her

"Good Lord James, you don't really expect me to eat all of this do you?" she asked as she looked at her plate that was heaped with bacon, eggs, fried potatoes and toast

"Well I wasn't sure what you liked so…"

"It's alright" she replied with a laugh "I'll manage"

As James sat down, M could tell by his expression that he had something on his mind.

"So what has you so deep in thought?" she asked as she picked at her food

"Well…a few things actually. First, I intend to go around and have a word with Mallory about this whole mess of a mission…"

"There's no need for that. I've already taken care of Mr. Mallory" said M in a tone that clearly meant "The matter has been dealt with, so mind your own business"

"Alright then there's the second issue of your children"

"What about them?"

"I want to meet them"

"I don't see why. They won't be the least bit interested" she replied with a slight hint of sadness

"Well just the same, I would like to meet them"

"I'll try, but don't get your hopes up" she replied as she finished picking at her breakfast and stood up to clear her dish

"What are you doing?" he asked as he rose and stood behind her, reaching around to take her plate "I thought we agreed that I would take care of the cleaning up"

"So we did" she said turning to rest her head on his shoulder. "I think I'll go back upstairs for a while. Why don't you leave this till later and join me" she replied quietly as she wrapped her arms around him

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked suddenly concerned

"Yes, I just suddenly felt the need to hug you, is there something wrong with that?"

"No not really" he said pulling her close "You can do this anytime you like" he said with a smile as he leaned down and kissed her.

As James was about to pull back, M reached up put her hand on the back of his head, holding him in place as she deepened the kiss. James was more than happy to let her take the lead as he backed her up against the counter, pressing himself against her, leaving little doubt that he wanted her.

When M finally broke the kiss, she looked up at him with a rather apprehensive expression.

"Are you alright?" he asked eying her carefully

"I'm fine" she said breathlessly "James…Do you remember when you said you would let it be my decision as to when I was ready" she asked as she leaned against him

"Yes of course" he said, just as breathless, as he tilted her chin up to look in her eyes

"I've decided, I'm ready" she said with a smile

"Are you sure? I mean we don't have to if you don't want to" he replied, trying his best to contain his excitement

"James" she replied "You can wipe that silly smile off your face. Contrary to popular belief, an old body doesn't always behave the way we want, and sometimes you just have to strike while the iron is hot" she said with an impish grin

"Enough said" he replied as he scooped her up and charged up the stairs.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	18. Chapter 18 Chapter 18

**For ForeverMBond, this is about as detailed as I get. So far out of my comfort zone it isn't funny :) and for Rebaforever15, thanks for the encouragement :)**

As James made it to the top of the stairs he slowed his pace as he entered the bed room gently place M on the bed, climbing in bedside her. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down lovingly before leaning over her and gently kissing her. As he felt her respond, he began to deepen the kiss as he fumbled with the tie on her dressing gown with trembling hands. M gently reached up to cup his cheek with one hand as she pulled him closer so that he was almost covering her. She could feel him trembling and pulled back to look at him carefully.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly while trying to conceal the concern in her voice

"Nothing" he said as he began tracing her cheekbone

"You haven't gone off the idea have you?"

"No" he said with a nervous laugh

"Then what is it? A few minutes ago you couldn't wait and now…"

"A few minutes ago you were still deciding and now that you have…I…I…It's just that I've thought about this day for a long time, and now that it's here. It's just that you're the first person that I've ever, really truly loved and even though I've done this before, and let's be honest we both know that I have, it's different with you and I…"

"James" said M quietly as she stroked his cheek "Stop talking"

James did as he was told and let M take the lead as she pulled him down to her in a deep passionate kiss. She could tell that he still was not relaxed by the way he was balancing himself on his elbow using his other arm near her shoulder for leverage. She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his waist, attempting to gently pull him closer, but he kept resisting her.

"James" she said breathlessly "For God's sake you won't crush me. Let go and hold me, I'll let you know it it's too much" she said sweetly

James relaxed a bit as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, placing soft kisses along her neck and collar bone, while his hands began to wonder across her body. M let out a soft moan as he began to place soft kisses across the top of each breast before continuing up the other side of her neck and jawbone before finally capturing her lips again.

M could tell when he had finally, completely relaxed by the way he expertly disrobed, first himself and then her and then settled back down to continue where he had left off. She could feel him against her leg, and moved accordingly in the hopes that it would make things easier for him. He was surprised when she arched herself up against him, letting him know in no uncertain terms what she wanted.

James was used to having sex in his business, but that's all it ever was…just part of the business. It was entirely different now. It mattered…she mattered. As he began to enter her he heard her gasp slightly

"Are you alright? Do you want me to stop?"

"If you stop it will be the last thing you do" she panted "Just give me a minute to adjust."

When he was sure she was ready, he continued until he was so close to her that if he had been any closer he would have been behind her, and then he began to move, slowly and gently. As they both began to relax James could feel her fingers digging into his shoulders while she moaned softly. James continued to kiss her, first her lips, then her neck, nipping at her collar bone while his hands explored her body.

"I love you M" he whispered in her ear as he held her close

M's breathing was becoming more erratic as she held on to James, not wanting this to end.

"I love you too James" she managed to say as she gently stroked the back of his head

James held her close until her breathing returned to something closer to normal before he started to roll off of her. M reached out and caught him, holding him in place.

"Not yet" she said softly

"But M…If I don't move, I will most certainly suffocate you or worse crush you" he replied with a smile

"Just stay where you are a little while longer. I'm not made of glass, I won't break" she said looking up into his eyes

James was more than happy to comply with her request, resting his head on her shoulder as he listened to her breath. When he was sure she had fallen asleep he moved off of her and curled up beside her, wrapping his arms securely around her.

M peacefully slept in James' arms for several hours before something jerked her awake, and she sat upright in bed with an almost horrified look on her face.

"M…What is it?" asked James, who was now completely awake

"I….I…" was all she could manage to say as she frantically looked around the room, almost as if she were trying to convince herself she was in her own bedroom

"M?" asked James again as he reached over and turned her head so that she was facing him

"It's alright…I'm alright" she finally said as the fear and panic began to disappear from her voice

James sat the rest of the way up and cradled her in his arms as she silently cried. Though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was crying by the way her body shook each time she took a breath.

"M…whatever it is, you can tell me" he said softly as he rested his head against hers

"I saw him" she said in a tone just barely audible

"You saw who?"

"I saw him, Anton…He just kept coming after me, under the table. I saw his face with that evil smirk as he grabbed my legs. I didn't mean to shoot him, I didn't want to shoot him." She said through her sobs "But he just kept coming"

"M…It's alright. He can't hurt you now. It's not your fault, you didn't have any other choice"

"He…he told me you were dead" she said quietly "He told me that the agent down was you, and I believed him"

James listened intently, careful not to interrupt because he knew that one of the most important things for a victim is to be able to verbalize what and how they feel, and if she wasn't going to let the company shrinks help her then it was up to him.

"I should have known it was a lie. I should have listened to Agents Booth and Connor and gone in the bedroom and locked the door" she said angrily

"M, if you had done that, then the gun would have been in the kitchen, and there is no telling what could have happened" replied James trying to justify her actions for her

"But Jack would have been there before he got through the door and…"

"That's not a given. You have no idea how long you laid their before Jack found you" he said tilting her chin up so he could look her in the eye "This man ruined your life. Not just your career as a field agent, but your personal life as well. You have no reason to feel guilty. If anything you should feel proud that you were able to make him pay for what he did, to you and to Maxwell"

M sat up and pulled away from James, which was a bad sign and James knew it. He had seen her do this before. When things got to personal or people got to close she would bottle up her emotions, and put on her usual, stoic business as usual face. She quietly got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, closing the door behind her. It wasn't long before James heard the water running and he knew that as far as she was concerned, the matter was now closed.

James got out of bed and dressed and then headed down to the kitchen to finish cleaning up the breakfast dishes. As he was drying the last dish, M appeared in the doorway, dressed in her dark blue suit, white blouse and her trademark black stiletto heels.

"And just where do you think you're off to?" asked James curiously as he flung the dish towel over his shoulder and crossed the room to put his arms around her

"James…Please…You'll muss me" she said sharply

"And I'm going to continue to muss you until you tell me where you're going" he said flatly as he narrowed his eyes

"I'm going to the office for a while. There are some things I need to take care of that did not get handled while I was away" she said as she attempted to pull away

"Well if you can wait a few minutes, I will finish dressing and come with you" he said as he leaned down and kissed her

"That won't be necessary. Why don't you stay here and dream up something wonderful for dinner" she said as she gave him a squeeze and headed toward the door

Just as she was about to open the door, James reached over her head and pushed it shut causing her to turn and glare at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded

"You didn't kiss me goodbye" he replied as he leaned down and pulled her into a deep kiss.

He could feel her begin to respond slightly and he knew that he was starting to get to her as she relaxed and returned the kiss

"There, that's better" he said with a smile "And M"

"Yes"

"I just want you to know that whatever is going on, whatever happens, I love you, I have always loved you and I will always love you, and I will be right here waiting for you, Do you hear me?" he said slowly so she would be sure to hear every word

"I love you too James. Be back in a while" she said as she disappeared out the door

TO BE CONTINUED...


	19. Chapter 19 Chapter 19

**Just a little cliff hanger to keep it interesting :)**

James waited patiently for hours before calling a taxi and heading to M's office. He couldn't help feeling uneasy as he rode the lift up to her floor. Being a Saturday, the building was virtually empty except for the normal security detail and a few Agents and office personal. When he stepped off the lift he headed for her office and ran directly into a frazzled Bill Tanner.

"Bill, what the hell are you doing here on a Saturday?" asked James

"Yeah I know it's a Saturday, but when the queen snaps her fingers…" snapped Bill

"Is she still here?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't go in there if I were you, she's not in the best of moods."

"I am already aware of that" said James as he headed toward her door "Why are you here anyway?"

"She called and asked me to come in and pull some old files from the archives" replied Bill

"What files?"

"Some old case from almost forty years ago"

"Any idea why she wanted them?"

"Not a clue. All I know is that as soon as I gave them to her she ordered me out of her office"

"Right then. Why don't you go home, I'll take it from here" said James with a wink

"007, as much as I would love to leave, if I go without her permission…"

"Don't worry about it Bill. I'll square it with her, besides she's not going to be here much longer herself" replied James firmly

"Well, if you're sure"

"Positive. Go salvage what's left of your Saturday night"

"Thanks Bond, I owe you one" replied Bill as he nearly ran down the hall to the lift.

James could hardly keep from laughing as he watched Bill disappear down the hall, then he turned to head toward the office door and his expression turned from one of amusement to one of frustration and concern.

James knocked lightly as he poked his head around the door.

"May I come in" he said quietly

"James…what are you doing here?" she asked looking up at him suspiciously

"You said you would be back in a while, and it's been more than a while and I got concerned" he said defensively as he crossed the room and leaned down to kiss her cheek

"There was no need for concern, I have been here the entire time" she said sounding a bit annoyed

"And just what have you been doing?" Asked James as he glanced down at the yellowing files on her desk

"None of your business" she snapped as she quickly closed the file she had been reading

"M, I'm only going to tell you this one more time. I love you, I have always loved you and I will always love you. Let me help…Please" he pleaded as he knelt beside her

"I don't want you involved in this anymore than you already are" she said quietly

"Too late. If you're involved then so am I so why not stop wasting time and tell me what you're doing and maybe I can help"

M reached over and brushed his cheek with her fingers.

"You are a dear, sweet man" she said softly

"Let me help." He said as he leaned forward and kissed her gently. As he pulled back he pointed to the files on her desk "Let's start with why you had Bill pull the original mission files"

"How did you know what those are?"

"Bill told me just before he bolted for the door when I told him he could leave" replied James with a wink

M picked up the files and took James' hand and lead him to the sofa.

"These are the files from the original mission as you said" she started "They contain all of the Intel information at the time as well as the reports before, during and after the mission"

"I see" said James as he picked up the file "So what is it that's bothering you?"

"This was all too coincidental, all too neat" she said narrowing her eyes

"I'm not sure I follow"

"Something that Jack said about Sergei only being an underling, a driver, not involved with the messy bits"

"Go on"

"Don't misunderstand. Anton was an evil man, a butcher, but he could have killed me and he didn't, He also wasn't stupid, he never would have left me in that hotel room alone after going to all the trouble of getting me there in the first place, so…"

"So you pulled the original files to go back over the Intel reports" concluded James

"James, it was so long ago, I just don't remember… but I do remember his face" she said quietly

"Whose face?"

"Sergei, and he was far more than just a driver"

"What do you remember?" asked James as he put the file down and put his arm around her, pulling her close

"Enough to know that we need to call Jack. Sergei is lying about his involvement in his brothers affairs forty years ago, and somewhere in one of these files is the proof" she replied in a very determined tone

James stood up and pulled M to her feet.

"Grab the files" he said as he pulled out his phone and began dialing

"What are you doing" she asked

"Calling Jack. There's a good chance he's still in London. If he is, I'm going to have him meet us at home and between the three of us we should be able to sort this out before Sergei has a chance to disappear again" replied James as he began escorting her toward the door while waiting for Jack to answer.

James was able to reach Jack just as he was about to board a plane, and after a few minutes of relaying the rather sketchy details, he was able to convince Jack of the need for him to stay in London, at least for one more day.

"What did he say?" asked M as she stared intently at James

"I told you, he said he would meet us at home" replied James

"Whose home? Yours or mine?" she asked with a slight grin

"This one" he replied as the car came to a stop "Ours"

"Oh I see. So I guess this means that my address is now public knowledge"

"Geez M, he's bloody CIA not a Boy Scout. In case you've forgotten he's in the same business as we are. Secrecy is his middle name" said James with a grin "Besides if you're not safe with the two of us around then you won't be safe anywhere"

"I suppose your right." She said as she got out of the car and headed up the stairs

"Hey…that doesn't mean you can just go charging off by yourself whenever you feel like it" he said following behind her

"I'm just unlocking the door not catching a plane to parts unknown" she said with a smirk

James followed along behind her, shut the door and flopped the files on the credenza in the hall before snaking his arm around M, pulling her to him in a deep kiss.

"Just promise me one thing" said James as he wrapped his arms around her tighter and buried his head in the crook of her neck

"What is that?" she asked as she pulled back as far as he would allow to look at him

"Don't go running off by yourself, even if it is just to the door until this is over" he said in a very serious tone "because IF you are right, then this isn't over, not by a long shot"

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" she asked

"No…as a matter of fact you haven't" he replied with a wicked grin

"JAMES!" she said firmly "We simply don't have time for that right now"

"Quite right" he said releasing her abruptly "But mind you, I will be keeping track, and when this is over…"

"Yes" she said seductively before she was interrupted by a knock at the door

"I'll get it, why don't you take the files in the other room and relax" replied James as he nudged her toward the sitting room

"Why James…You really can be quite masterful when you want to "she said with a laugh as she went just far enough into the sitting room to be able to peak around the corner without being seen

TO BE CONTINUED...


	20. Chapter 20 Chapter 20

**Sorry this took so long, the little details are a bit time consuming, but it will all make sense in the next chapter :)**

James looked at the sitting room doorway as he answered the door to make sure M did as she was told, even though he knew she hadn't. As he neared the door he suddenly tensed and wished he had drawn his gun, but his apprehension was short lived as soon as he opened the door.

"Jack…thanks for coming on such short notice" he said as he quickly ushered his friend inside

"Well…I have to admit, you've got me stumped with this one" he said shaking his head "What makes you so sure there is more to the story?"

"Because SHE says so" replied James motioning to M who was now standing in full view

"M…Good to see you again" said Jack as he closed the distanced between them and kissed her cheek

"Jack" she said with a warm smile "Thank you for coming. I know that this sounds crazy, but I just can't let it go" she said as the three of them walked into the sitting room

"Drink?" asked James as he headed toward the liquor cabinet

"Yes please" replied M as she sat on the sofa

"One for me too" said Jack

"Now let's see what you have here" said Jack as the took the files "These are the original Intel files right?"

"Yes. They document the movements of Anton and his men in the spring of 1968 thru the fall of 1969" said M "If you notice, after every incident there is a list of men present. See anything unusual?" she asked

"Not really, I mean it lists Sergei as being present at all of the incidents, but if he was the driver…"

"But he wasn't…look closer. The man listed as the driver is named Ivan something or other" said James as he brought the drinks

"Yes…Ivan Kaminski." Replied Jack

"That has to mean something, doesn't it?" asked M

"Well there's one way to find out" replied Jack

"Oh and what is that" asked James narrowing his eyes

"We could just ask him" said Jack rather matter of fact

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" asked M

"That part is easy." Said Jack, taking a drink of his scotch "He's sitting in a cell in the Hague waiting to be put on trial for crimes against humanity"

"What are you talking about" asked James

"We found him last year and turned him over. I'm sure with a little sweet talking on M's part, they would be more than willing to let us talk to him" replied Jack

"I'm afraid we may have to go over her head, no offense M, and ask super twit Mallory to intervene" said James dryly "This isn't the type of think M would normally be involved with"

"What do you mean?"

"We are in the business of capturing the spies, once they're in custody, unless it is a matter of national security, we're pretty much out of it"

"I think trying to take out the head of MI6 qualifies as a matter of national security" snapped Jack

"Well you and I may think so, but the powers that be may not see it that way"

"Well I sure as hell can ask. I can tell them that he is needed for questioning in a current investigation." Said Jack as he finished his drink "I'll fly there and question him myself"

"I want to come" said M quietly

"NO!" snapped James angrily "You're not going anywhere near him"

"James…I need to do this. I need to hear it for myself" she said as her eyes began to fill with tears

"It's alright sweetheart" said James as he put his arm around her and kissed her forehead "If you really want to go then I guess I can't stop you, but you WILL stand behind that stupid two way mirror thing alright"

"Deal" she said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek before resting her head against his shoulder

"Well it looks like you two have made up" said Jack with a smirk

"You could say that" replied James with a smile

"So what pet name did you decide on if I may ask?"

"Not that it's any of your bloody business, but I think we've decided on…Wife" said James with a smile as he looked as M

"Now that has a nice ring to it." replied Jack with a grin "Good luck M. You've got your work cut out for you" he said with a laugh "But in all seriousness, I think I can get this Ivan character brought here for questioning. The less traveling we, and I mean you M, the better. It will be easier to protect you on your own soil, so to speak"

"Jack…Believe it or not, if she's right, then you are in just as much danger as she is. He knows what all three of us look like, and by now he's got to know that we suspect something"

"By he, I assume you mean Sergei? I thought of that. It took me twice as long to get here because I changed vehicles and modes of transportation about a million times just in case our little friend was watching"

"So what do you think?" asked James trying not to sound worried

"I think the sooner we get Ivan here the better. Let me work on that while you two keep looking for any other proof just in case they say NO" he replied as he took out his phone and began dialing while he walked out into the hall

"Oh James" said M with a deep sigh "I'm sorry for getting you and Jack mixed up in all of this"

"What the hell are you sorry for?" he asked sounding annoyed as he pulled her close "If you recall it was Mallory who set up this little fiasco, which by the way, should not surprise you in the least as every time he puts his nose in where it doesn't belong, it all seems to go balls up in a matter of seconds…"

"James, don't be so hard on him. On the surface this sounded like a legitimate request, and a means to finding out some valuable information…" she said pulling back to look at him

"But he just doesn't think M" said James angrily "You don't just go putting the head of the secret service in that kind of danger EVER, he of all people should know that. It's like sending the commanding officer to the front line with a sling shot when the enemy has an atom bomb"

"James he did what he thought was necessary, and if I'm right and Sergei is playing us then even the CIA was fooled, so it isn't fair to place all the blame on Mallory" she replied in her usual business like tone

"I suppose you're right" he conceded as he gave her a quick but gentle kiss

Jack hung up the phone and grumbled under his breath as he sat back down

"Well?"

"They sort of agreed" he replied rubbing his forehead in aggravation

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that we can have him, but only if we agree to some sort of deal that could affect the outcome of his trial…something about leniency for his cooperation with this mess" replied Jack

"If that's what it takes then so be it" said M firmly

James and Jack stared at her with puzzled looks on their faces. This was a woman who NEVER makes deals and yet here she was agreeing to one.

"M…do you have any idea how long it took to get him?" asked Jack

"Do you have any idea how valuable the information he has really is?" she retorted "If I'm right, and I think we all know that I am, then capturing Sergei is far more important than.."

"She's right" said James interrupting "Sergei is the key, and if Ivan can help then…"

"Ok, I see where you two are going with this. Better to let the little fish swim away if it means capturing the big fish"

"Something like that. So when will he be here?" asked M apprehensively

"Late tomorrow afternoon" replied Jack

"Then I suggest that we all get some rest as we have a busy day ahead of us" said M as she rose and headed toward the stairs

"Right then…I will be going" said Jack as he rose and headed toward the door

"And just where do you think you're going?" asked M curiously

"Back to my hotel" he said with a rather confused look on his face "Why?"

"Just lock the door and both of you follow me" she said firmly as she headed up the stairs "And be sure to turn out the lights" she said over her shoulder

Jack and James both had a look of shock written across their faces as they stared up the stairs. M could tell that by the fact that you could have heard a pin drop that they were both slightly confused by her statement, in fact under any other circumstance she would have found the situation humorous herself, however at this particular time the request was in the interest of their safety, not to satisfy some odd sexual fantasy.

"Boys…I'm only going to tell you one more time." She said leaning over the railing "Lock the door, turn off the lights and get your arses up here. Jack can stay in the guest room" she said looking directly at Jack "And if you can behave, you can stay with me" she said motioning to James before she turned and headed down the hall

Jack and James let out simultaneous sighs of relief as they began to laugh

"Boy am I glad she clarified that" said Jack with a grin

"You and me both" replied James with a bit of a crooked smile "I always suspected that she isn't as straight laced as people seem to think, but to be quite honest, this really isn't the time to be exploring that theory" he said with a laugh as they did as they were told and headed up the stairs.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	21. Chapter 21 Chapter 21

**Sorry this took so long but there was a lot to explain in this one and it's been a crazy week. Enjoy**

James laid on his side with his arm draped protectively over M as she did her best to keep still and not let on that she was wide awake. Her mind just kept replaying the events of the original mission over and over again and then it would fast forward to the last few days causing her body to tense until every muscle ached.

"You alright?" James asked sleepily as he pulled her close and kissed her temple

"Fine" she snapped

"No need to get snarky, I was just asking" he said as he pulled away slightly

"I'm sorry James" she said rolling over to face him, lightly brushing her fingertips across his cheek

"It's going to be alright...you're going to be alright" he said reaching up to capture her hand and kiss her fingertips

M flashed him a rather unconvincing smile as she snuggled closer

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" he asked softly

"No..not in the last few hours anyway"

"Well I do, and I was thinking that when this is over I would like to take you away on a proper holiday" he said

"I see" she said with a smile "And just where did you have in mind?"

"How about I leave it up to you" he said leaning over and kissing her "Now, as you said earlier, we have a big day ahead of us so how about we get some rest" he said pulling her close

"I'll try" she said thru a yawn as she rested her head on his shoulder

The sun was just beginning to peak thru the curtains as James opened his eyes and looked down at the clearly exhausted M lying beside him. He carefully untangled himself from her , dressed and went down to the kitchen to make some coffee. It wasn't long before Jack appeared in the doorway, looking as though he needed a few more hours of sleep himself.

"Morning" said James as he got the cups out of the cabinet "Coffee?"

"What time is it?" asked Jack in a rather groggy tone

"Just past 5:00"

"And why are we up so early"

"Couldn't sleep" replied James

"And M...Where is she?"

"I didn't have the heart to wake her. She's had such a horrendous couple of days, I thought it best to let her sleep a while"

"So what exactly is the plan? I mean after we've spoken to Ivan"

"We go after Sergei" came a weak voice from the doorway

"M...What are you doing up?" asked James as he quickly closed the distance between them and escorted her to a chair

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I would come down and join you" she said with a faint smile

"You should have stayed in bed and gotten some rest" said James sternly

"I'm alright James." she said leaning her head against his hand that had settled on her shoulder "Now back to Sergei...Do we know where he is?"

"I've got that covered. My men are keeping an eye on him as we speak" replied Jack as he sat down across from her and grabbed his cup of coffee "Don't worry M. He won't get away" he said as he reached across and squeezed her hand "I promise"

"Thank you Jack" she said returning the squeeze "Where will they bring him? Ivan I mean" she asked as James handed her a cup of coffee

"They'll be bringing him straight to you at your office" replied Jack

"HER OFFICE!"

"Well not HER office you idiot. Your headquarters, the interrogation room to be exact"

"Alright you two" said M with a laugh "Calm down, both of you. Jack...Keep me advised on both Sergei's whereabouts and on Ivan's arrival, and James please do you best to remain calm and stay focused." she said as she stood up and kissed lightly kissed him "Do you think you can do that for me?" she asked with a wink

"Of course Ma'am" he replied sheepishly

"Cut the Ma'am crap James. I know that you love me, I just need to know that you've got my back on this one"

"Always" he said drawing her to him in a protective embrace as he kissed her soundly

"Good. Now that that's settled I'm going to grab a quick shower so that we can head to the office and prepare for our guest" she said giving him a quick hug before heading back upstairs

"How does she do that?" asked Jack with a perplexed look

"What?"

"Win...without ever raising her voice"

"She's M." relied James with a grin as he put the cups in the sink

Once they had all showered and changed, Jack, James and M headed to the office to go over the files one more time and wait for Ivan. The three of them took turns pacing around the office, occasionally stopping to look out the window and attempting to carry on some sort of small talk to keep their minds off the clock.

"They should be here by now" snapped Jack as he resumed the path he had made around the office

"Jack, do sit down before you wear a hole in the carpet" said M as she looked up from the file she was reading "They will call when he has arrived"

"He's right!" huffed James "They should have been here by now"

"James...No one is more anxious to speak to him than I am, but wandering around my office moaning about it won't speed things up so please, for me just sit down and try to be patient" she said sternly

"I just want to get this over...for your sake" he said as he stood beside her with his hand on her shoulder

M reached up and patted his hand and then returned to reading the file in front of her

"This is ridiculous" snapped Jack "I'm going for coffee...anyone else interested?" said Jack as he headed out the door

"I'll take one" replied James.

Once Jack had left the room, James reached over and gently took the file out of M's hand with one hand and put his other hand under her chin, tilting her face up as he leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Good Morning" he said tenderly as he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her

"James..what do you think you're doing?" she asked with a sly grin as she wrapped her arms around him

"I didn't have a chance to do this earlier, what with Jack around" he said with a smile

"What is it?" she asked curiously "What's got you so worried? You said it yourself. He can't hurt me, and Sergei is nowhere near here" she said quietly

"I just want this to be over so that we can get on with our lives" he said as he leaned down and kissed her again

Jack came bounding back into the office with two cups of coffee only to find M in James' arms.

"Oh for Christ sake you two, I can't leave you alone for two seconds can I" he snapped as he put the cups down and grabbed the files

"What are you doing?" asked James as he reluctantly released M

"He's here...Let's get this over with" replied Jack as he motioned toward the door

James and Jack headed toward the door, but M just stood there as if she were bolted to the floor

"M...you don't have to do this if you don't want to" said James quietly

"No...No I want to." she said in a shaky voice as she literally willed herself to cross the room and take his arm

"I'll be right beside you" he said as he covered her hand with his

The three of them made their way down to the interrogation room and stood in the adjoining room looking thru the glass at Ivan Kaminski. In general he was a rather ordinary looking older gentlemen. Tall, thin with white hair and a white moustache, rather frail looking, to anyone else he looked completely harmless.

"Are we ready?" asked Jack as he looked at M

"Yes" she replied quietly as she gripped James' arm

"Well here we go" said Jack as he disappeared out of the room

"You're absolutely sure you want to be here?" asked James with obvious concern in his voice

"Shhhh...He's entering the room"

Jack entered the interrogation room and took a seat opposite Ivan

"Mr. Kaminski...I'm sure you've been told why you have been brought here"

"Yes"

"And you are willing to answer our questions?"

"Yes...If I can" he replied in a thick Russian accent

"Then let's begin shall we. What can you tell me about Sergei Mirrinov" asked Jack bluntly

"He doesn't waste any time does he?" replied M, looking up at James before retuning her attention to the interrogation room

"What do you want to know"

"He insists that he was never really part of Anton's missions, that he was only a driver. Is that how you remember it?"

Ivan snorted as he shifted in his chair

"Is that what he told you?" he asked with a laugh

"I take it this is not true" replied Jack as he narrowed his eyes

"It is true that Anton had the authority, but Sergei had the real power. The men did whatever Sergei wanted, they were loyal to him and him alone. Many times Sergei accused Anton of being too soft"

"Too soft?"

"On several occasions, Anton wanted to let the women and children live, but Sergei wouldn't hear of it. He said that the higher the body count the more power they had, and Anton eventually went along"

"So it was Sergei who ordered the deaths of all of those innocent people"

"Not entirely. Anton would make the call on occasion, but for the most part it was his brother calling the shots"

""When is the last time you spoke to Anton?"

"It was about a year ago, before I was captured. It was pathetic. He was losing his mind, kept wanting to find the one that got away...he said something about wanting to ask her to forgive him"

M began to sway slightly at this statement causing James to put his arm around her to steady her

"It was really quite sad. Sergei played on his brothers feeble mind, he could talk him into just about anything. Poor soul couldn't remember a thing so it was easy" said Ivan

"In your opinion would Sergei also want to find the one who got away?"

"Of course. Anton had a special place in his heart for her, but Sergei saw her as a threat. Anton had every intention of "rescuing" her from his brother, but he was detained that night and when he got there she was gone. They, the men, had orders to kill her, but after she was tortured, raped, beaten, shot and left for dead, a few of us who were loyal to Anton went back and cared for her until her people arrived. When Sergei found out he was furious, he had several men shot and made it known that if anyone ever disobeyed his orders again they would suffer a fate worse than death"

"So it was on Sergei's orders that all of this was done to her?" asked Jack hesitantly as he looked over at the mirror

"No one carried out the orders, He did it personally, to prove that he had the real Power not Anton"

M turned and buried her head in James shoulder as she began to cry. James put his arm around her and led her out of the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily thru her tears

"You've heard enough" he said firmly as he led her toward the lift

As the lift doors closed James waited until it began to take them up before he stopped the lift between floors and turned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as her knees began to buckle and she began to sob uncontrollably. When she had regained some sort of composure, James started the lift again and took them to the lobby and escorted her out the door to a waiting car. James turned to the guard before he got in and asked him to deliver a message to Jack.

"Would you inform Mr. Ward that I have taken M home and ask him to join us when he is finished"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	22. Chapter 22 Chapter 22

**Sorry, I've been neglecting this one a bit.**

As soon as the car came to a complete stop, M bolted out the door and charged up the stairs leaving James with a rather bewildered look on his face. She hadn't said one word the entire way home and judging by her behavior, had no intention of discussing the matter anytime soon. As he made his way into the flat, he was immediately struck by the stillness. He half expected to find her in the sitting room downing the first of many drinks, but instead the room was empty. He stared up the stairs debating whether he should go up and check on her or stay out of the line of fire, but curiosity and concern got the better of him and he ascended the stairs cautiously. He stood outside the bedroom door for several minutes before he finally worked up the courage to knock.

"M...Are you alright?" he asked quietly "Do you want to talk?"

He waited patiently for an answer, but when he got no response he knocked again more forcefully

"M...I know you're in there...Please talk to me" he said leaning his head against the door, but still no response.

He was about to knock again when he heard a knock at the front door, so he turned and made his way back down stairs grumbling the entire way. When he opened the door, he found Jack staring at him with a look of concern.

"How is she?' he asked as he brushed past James

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know. She's locked herself in the bedroom and is refusing to answer me" snapped James as he closed the door and followed Jack into the sitting room

"I can't say as I blame her." replied Jack as he poured himself a drink "The chat with Ivan was rather enlightening"

"That's putting it mildly"

"After you left I found out a few more things. Sergei has spent the last few months drilling the past into Anton's head, telling him things that he did, but making the old fool think that they were things he did, Anton I mean"

"So he basically brainwashed Anton into believing that he was responsible..."

"For everything that happened to M...You got it," replied Jack angrily "Don't get me wrong, Anton was a monster and he was responsible for more than his fair share of things, but according to Ivan, he changed when he met M, he became softer and it annoyed the shit out of his brother"

"So the other day at the safe house...He was trying to "rescue" her?"

"Hard to say. He might have been or he might have been trying to finish what his brother started all those years ago. Look all I know is that Anton couldn't remember yesterday let alone nearly forty years ago, so whatever he did, he was coached, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had an ear piece with his brother on the other end telling him what to say and do"

James stared up the stairs with a look of total helplessness as he listened to Jack.

"I've got my team on alert, and they are ready to move as soon as I give the word" said Jack

"Well how the hell do you intend to get him when he's working for the Russian government?"

"I've got friends in high places...We'll get him, but we have a bigger problem"

"Oh really, and just what would that be?"

"Who knew about this mission?"

"What?"

"Who knew other than you, M and Mallory?"

"I don't know why?"

"Because I believe that there really is a mole and it isn't a computer program. Look Your

People were captured with very little effort on Sergei's part, which means that he knew where they were. The only reason my team wasn't discovered is because you didn't go thru the usual channels..."  
"Right...I didn't use my work phone, I used a burner phone to contact you"

"Exactly, so no one knew about us...Which means that somewhere you have a leak"

"Jack...I need you to do me a favor. I need you to stay here with M. Don't let her out of your sight." Said James as he got up and grabbed his coat and headed toward the door

"Why..Where are you going?"

"To ask the one person who might just be able to answer all of our questions" replied James

"Well what do I tell her if she decides to come down here?"

"Tell her to stay put. I mean it Jack, keep an eye on her she's a slippery one and she knows just about every way from Tuesday to ditch a body guard so stay on your toes"

"You're not going to do anything stupid are you?"

"No, I'm just going to rattle a few chains" he replied as he disappeared out the door

Jack took his drink, sat at the foot of the stairs, and waited. Eventually M would emerge from the bedroom and he was going to be damn sure she didn't get past him, although to be honest he was really hoping that she would stay up there until James returned, as he wasn't really looking forward to explaining his absence.

James headed straight for Whitehall, bypassing nearly every security guard and checkpoint until he stood outside Mallory's office.

"Good Afternoon 007" said Mallory's secretary as she looked up from her computer

"Good Afternoon. I don't suppose he's in is he?"

"As a matter of fact he is. Did you have an appointment?"

"No, but this is a matter of great importance and I was hoping I could have a minute if at all possible" said James in a rather fake polite tone

"Of course, let me see if he is available" she replied as she got up and disappeared into the office

James waited patiently as she returned with Mallory

"007, how can I be of service?" he asked as he motioned for James to enter the office, closing the door behind them "I've just been reading the preliminary reports from the mission. How is M? It looks as though she's been through quite an ordeal"

James remained silent as he handed him a slip of paper, which Mallory read before looking up with a look of total disbelief

"You can't be serious?" he said with a grim expression

"Sir, I think that under the circumstances..."

"Yes. Quite right" replied Mallory as he grabbed his coat. Follow me

James did as he was told and followed Mallory out of the office.

"I will be out of the office for a few hours. Please reschedule my remaining appointments for a later date" he said dryly as the two of them headed off down the hall.

Mallory's secretary gave them both a rather puzzled look as she watched them disappear before she picked up the phone and began dialing.

James hailed a taxi while Mallory fiddled with his phone until it was finally switched off and then handed it to the guard at the front gate.

"Please have this taken to Q branch. It appears to be malfunctioning. Ask them to give it a once over."

"Yes Sir" replied the guard as James and Mallory got into the waiting Cab and headed out.

Jack sat at the bottom of the stairs for what seemed like an eternity, when in fact it was only about an hour, before he heard a noise and turned to see M glaring down at him from the top of the stairs. He stood and watched her descend the stairs until she finally reached to bottom before he tried to speak to her again

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly as she looked at him with almost no emotion

"Aside from the fact that I shot and killed an innocent man, I'm just fine" she snapped as she headed toward the sitting room

Jack quickly turned on his heel and followed her catching her arm as she was about to pour a drink.

"Hey...He wasn't all that innocent" replied Jack as he turned her so that she was facing him "He may have been suffering from a disease that turns your brain to mush, but that doesn't excuse him for what he did, so don't go blaming yourself" he said quietly

M stared vacantly at the floor as she listened to Jack.

"You don't know what he was up to and you did what you had to in order to stay alive."

"Where is James?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject

"He stepped out for a little while"

"Out?"

"He had an idea and went to follow up on it" replied Jack "Don't worry, he'll be back soon"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	23. Chapter 23

James and Mallory waited patiently in line at the London Eye until the next available capsule came into view and then with one flash of Mallory's badge they were allowed to enter. It may not have been the most convenient place to meet, but it certainly was , as Mallory's badge ensured that there would be no other passengers with them.

"OO7... You have my complete and total undivided attention. Are you absolutely sure that there is a leak?" asked Mallory with a worried look

"Positive Sir"

"Forgive me if I seem a bit confused, but I was under the impression that Q and his American counterpart had already found the "Mole" in question and it turned out to be nothing more than a computer thingy"

"I believe the correct term is virus, Sir" replied James clearly not amused by his lack of the technical term

"So what exactly is it that you want from me?"

"I need to know who, other than yourself and the PM, knew about this mission?" said James bluntly

"Well, there's you and M of course, your team, which by the way, you handpicked, there was Q, and anyone else that M may have told" replied Mallory

"She didn't tell anyone, not ever her secretary or her assistant Tanner. She wanted this matter kept as quiet as possible"

"Well surly she must have told her body guard?"

"No, I took over as her body guard almost as soon as we left your office after the initial briefing, and she was more or less never out of my sight until we left, three days later"

"Then I can't imagine who else would have known" replied Mallory

"Whoever it is, has access to our computers and our communication systems, that's why I wanted to get you out of the office"

"I assumed as much, which is why I turned off my phone and had it sent to Q branch. I didn't think you would want us followed"

"Is there anyone else, no matter how benign they may seem, that may have known about this mission?"

"Only my secretary, Anya. It was her task to type up the necessary travel documents, and mission logs"

""Are you serious?" snapped James angrily "You didn't do them yourself!"

"No, that's why I have a secretary!" snapped Mallory

James paced about the small capsule, pondering just how much trouble he would be in if he happened to flatten Mallory.

"Just how much do you know about your secretary, Anya?"

"She's been with me for about a year..."

"And she has access to the computers and the communications equipment?"

"Well yes, I suppose"

James took out his phone and dialed Q, glaring at Mallory the entire time he waited for the little geek to answer the phone.

"Q...Bond here, I want you to scan the computer in Mr. Mallory's secretary's office for any unusual activity that might include accessing the main frame at HQ"

"007, as much as I would like to accommodate your request, I'm afraid even that is above my pay scale without proper authorization" replied Q

"Fine" grumbled James as he handed Mallory the phone "Would you be so kind as to tell him it's ok to hack into your secretary's computer"

Once Mallory had finished with Q he handed the phone back to James with a heavy sigh

"I just never would have thought, she seemed like such a nice girl"

"Not to put too fine a point on it Sir, but most spies do"

Jack and M appeared to be caught in what some would call a standoff. M insisted that she wanted to return to her office and Jack wasn't about to let her step one little toe out the front door.

"I still don't see why I can't at least go to my own office and try to be somewhat productive" shouted M

"Because"

"That's a hell of a reason. I don't suppose you would care to elaborate?"

"It's a need to know basis, and quite frankly, you don't need to know right now" he snapped as he put his hands on either side of her head, trapping her against the wall

"Now Jack" she started with a sickeningly sweet tone "I'm sure that we could work something out if you would just cooperate with me a little"

"Not gonna work M, you can bat your eyes all you want, but you're not going anywhere" he replied

M just let out a sigh of frustration as she leaned back against the wall.

"I'm really sorry M, but if I let you out that door, James will kill me and that's putting it mildly" he said pulling her to him "He's only doing this because he loves you"

"And what about you? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I care about you, hell if it wasn't for James I could almost fall for you myself" he said quietly

"Almost?"

"Well you have to admit, you do make keeping you safe rather difficult"

"Well what fun would it be if I behaved myself" she said with a laugh "Alright, as it appears that I will not be going anywhere, I guess I will go back up stairs and take a nap" she said as she headed toward the steps

Jack could tell something was up just by the way she gave up so easily, so he decided to follow her. As she was almost half way up the stairs, she suddenly turned to see Jack following close behind.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked sharply

"With you. James warned me about you and how slippery you can be, so I'm not taking any chances" he replied as he gently took her arm and escorted her the rest of the way up the stairs

"And what if I were to tell you that I was going to the bathroom?"

"Then I will make sure that its safe, and that there is no way in hell you can make it out the window" he said casting her a knowing glance

"Can you honestly see me climbing out the window?"

"Yep, out the window, down the drain pipe and gone in less than 60 seconds" he said with a grin "Once an agent always an agent"

"You really aren't going to let me out of your sight are you?" she said sounding rather frustrated

"No" he replied quietly as he leaned down and gently kissed her

M leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling along his belt until she felt his gun, which she quickly un-holstered and pointed at his chest

"M...What are you doing?" he asked with a look of both surprise and disbelief

"I'm going to my office!" she said with a defiant and highly determined tone

"Now M...we've been over this, you can't go..."

"Too late. As I am the one with the gun, I guess that means I make the decisions around here, and If you and James insist on keeping me in the dark, then I have no other choice than to go sort this out for myself" she snapped "So start walking"

Jack did as he was told and started walking with his hands in the air.

"Would you at least let me call James?" he protested all the way down the stairs

"Why? so he can give you a thousand and one ways to keep me prisoner in my own home?"

"No...So that I can explain the situation to him, so that maybe he will then explain the situation to you" he replied looking over his shoulder at M and the gun

"Fine! You have two minutes" she said dryly

Jack reached in his pocket, took out his phone and dialed James as quickly as he could.

"Bond"

"James...we seem to have a little situation here" said Jack as calmly as he could

"If you tell me you lost her..."

"No...I didn't lose her, she's standing right here. Look I really think you need to let me tell her what's going on"

"I'll tell her when I get back"

"I don't think you understand..."

"Well why don't you enlighten me" replied James as he hailed a cab

"As you can guess, she was less than pleased to find that you had gone out, and one thing led to another and well let's just say that Annie Oakley here has an itchy trigger finger and if you don't let me tell her where you are I'm not so sure that she won't use me for target practice" he said with a nervous laugh

"You gave her your gun?"

"No, she took it, there's a big difference, anyway...what do you say?"

"Put her on" snapped a clearly irritated James

"He wants to talk to you" said Jack handing her the phone

"I assume you have a good reason for holding me hostage in my own home?" she said dryly

"Well, actually you are the one holding the hostage at the moment, so let's not go pointing fingers"

"Point taken, Where are you and when are you coming back?" she snapped

"I'm on my way. Please put the gun down and wait until I get there and I will explain everything" said James in a calm tone

"I'll be waiting" she snapped as she hung up the phone.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	24. Chapter 24 Chapter 24

**Would have posted this sooner, but I had to find a god stopping point for this chapter :)**

As promised, James arrived at M's flat in record time. He flew up the front steps and bounded thru the front door startling both M and Jack who were seated in the sitting room glaring at one another.

"It's a bit chilly in here don't you think" said James in an attempt to lighten the mood

"You had better have a damn good explanation for all of this" snapped M as she turned her attention to James

"I thought we agreed that you were going to put the gun down?"

M just continued to glare at James as she tightened her grip on the gun

"Why didn't you tell me you were going out?"

"Well perhaps if you would have opened the door when I asked..."

"I didn't feel like talking, you of all people should have realized that!"

"ALRIGHT YOU TWO...enough is enough" snapped Jack as he rose from his chair and swiftly took the gun from M as he turned and angrily faced James "Would you just sit yourself down and tell her what you've been up to!"

James and M stared at Jack with rather stunned expressions on their faces

"You heard me. You two are acting like a couple of two year olds. James Just tell her already, and M darlin, as much as I love you, if you had just opened the door like he said, then you would already know what he was doing"

"He's right" said James as took a seat beside M on the sofa

"Good, now then, what did you find out?"

"Plenty, or rather at least we have a place to start" replied James as he reached over and took M's hand "Jack...I need you to contact your friends at the Russian embassy. Find out how much they know about Sergei and his activities just before and after M's mission. Also ask them if what we have is enough proof to go after him"

"Right" said Jack as he pulled out his phone and left to make the call

"James...What is it? What's going on?"

"I didn't want to alarm you, but we have a leak somewhere either at MI6 or at Whitehall which is why you can't go to the office at the moment"

"I don't understand. No one in my office other than you knew about the mission"

"Which is why I think the leak is at Whitehall. I have just come from a rather unorthodox meeting with Mallory, and between Him and Q, they should be able to confirm my suspicions"

"Define unorthodox"

"Well let's just say that we couldn't meet in his office for obvious reasons so I chose the next, best logical and extraordinarily private place I could think of..."

"Which was?"

"The London Eye"

"Oh I see, how did that go over? You do know that Mallory is afraid of heights"

James shook his head and grinned before he continued.

"While Mallory and Q are busy following the lead we have, I need you to do something for me"

"Of course"

"I realize that it's going to be hard, but I need you to think back to what happened to you" he said as he slid closer and put his arm around her

"You already know what happened to me" she replied quietly as she stared at her hands

"Yes I know, but I'm more interested in what happened to after..."

"You know that as well, it's all in the report"

"No, I mean after you were left for dead. Something Ivan said got me to thinking. Why did they come back? And why was it so important that you live. Anton never let anyone live before, so what made you so special?"

"You heard what both Sergei and Ivan said, Anton liked me, in fact he said it himself at dinner..."

"Yes, but what would make his men risk their lives to make sure you lived. You heard him, they stayed with you until our people came to get you, they took care of your wounds and kept you safe...Why? What is it that you know? And why after all of these years did they come after you now"

"I have no idea" she said with a look of bewilderment

Jack wandered back into the sitting room and flopped in the chair opposite the sofa with a rather annoyed look on his face.

"Well...what did they say?"

"My contact says we need more concrete proof before they will even consider turning him over" replied Jack in a disgusted tone "But, I did manage to find out another small piece of the puzzle"

"I'm all ears" said James as he tightened his hold on M

"You wanted to know what started all of this right?"

"Well it would help"

"Several months ago a documentary film maker from New Zealand started asking a lot of questions for some film he was making about the old KGB. Apparently he got too close to something or someone because he ended up dead. They found his body in Moscow in an old abandoned warehouse in a deserted part of town"

"So what's that got to do with us?"

"Well it seem as though he may have stumbled onto something, because when I called my home office and had them cross reference the names and dates we found that every time we were close to catching one of these old-timers, they were either MIA or had just recently died."

"And you think the two are connected?"

"Well, I don't believe in coincidence. I think he was on to something or someone, and he got too close for comfort"

"But what about Ivan?" asked M who had been listening intently "You managed to capture him alive"

"We got to him a few months before this film guy showed up"

James, Jack and M all sat silently pondering all of the new information they had been given. Jack was right, in the spy game there was no such thing as coincidence.

"I want to see him" said M quietly

"No, You've already seen him and look what it did to you" replied James as he leaned his head against hers

"But I want to ask..."

"I'll ask, you just tell me what you want to know"

"Look, this is my life we're talking about. This happened to me, and I want to ask the questions I have spent most of my adult life wondering about" she said as she pulled away from him

"M...I know this is painful, but I just don't think it's a very good idea"

"YOU DON'T THINK!" she snapped with tears in her eyes "I don't care what YOU think. I am your boss 007, and I want to interrogate the suspect myself...IS THAT CLEAR!"

"Oh so this is how it's going to be?" replied James as angrily got up "You're going to pull rank on me every time you don't get your way?"

"If I have to!" she snapped back

Out of pure frustration, James ran his hand thru his hair, glared at her for a moment and then turned and stormed out of the room.

"Where do you think you're going" shouted M as she got up and followed after him with Jack close behind

"I'm going for a walk" he said angrily as he stormed out the door, slamming it behind him

Tears of pain and anger streamed down M's face as she stared at the door. Jack stood in the doorway of the sitting room and was almost beside himself. He didn't know whether he should comfort her or scold her so he chose the first option and came up behind her and put his arms around her and pulled her back to him.

"Let him go M. He just needs time to work for this out for himself before he tumbles to the conclusion that you are right" he whispered in her ear

"Why can't he understand?" she said thru her sobs

"Because he loves you, and he can't stand to see you go thru this again" he said turning her to face him "If he could, he would take you as far away from here as possible, but he knows deep down that you need to do this. He can't protect you from the past, and it's killing him"

"I don't need him to protect me from the past, it's the future I'm worried about" she said as she leaned her head against his chest

"He knows that, which is why he'll be back, you'll see" he replied

M nodded as she wiped away her tears

"Look. Why don't you go up and take a nice long soak in the tub while I make you some dinner. You haven't eaten a thing all day and you must be starving"

"Thank you Jack, but I'm not really all that hungry"

"Then how about I make you a deal. If you promise to stay put, and I mean it, I will go fetch the boy and being him back"

"Jack" she said reaching up to tenderly cup his cheek "You are a dear, sweet man, but if you leave me alone, he will kill you and we both know that in his current mood, that is not out of the realm of possibilities"

"You have a point there. Do you always have to be right?" he asked sounding slightly annoyed

"No, it just usually works out that way" she replied with a small laugh "But I may do as you suggested and go take a nice, long bath" she said as she let go and headed toward the stairs

"Good. I'll go ahead and make something for dinner, just in case you change your mind" he replied with a wink

TO BE CONTINUED...


	25. Chapter 25 Chapter 25

**I finally managed to be somewhat productive today and get this chapter done :) Enjoy**

Jack was just finishing the pasta when he heard the front door close. He quickly put down the strainer, grabbed a dishtowel and headed for the sitting room to find James staring at the empty sofa, rubbing his forehead.

"Are you over your little tantrum? Or are you back for round two?" asked Jack from the doorway

"It's just that she's so bloody obstinate sometimes"

"Yes I know and that's why you love her"

"Where is she?"

"Give me one good reason why I should tell you?" replied Jack coolly

"Because..."

"Because what? Look, she's upset enough without you getting your shorts in a bunch every time she turns around"

"I just want to apologize ok?"

"Now that's more like it"

"So is she in the kitchen?" James asked as he turned to face Jack

"Upstairs" he replied nodding toward the steps "She went to have a bath. Why don't you go up and see if you can talk her into coming back down to eat. You know she hasn't eaten all day" said Jack with a hint of concern in his voice

"I'll try, but I'm not making any promises" replied James as he slowly ascended the steps.

Once again, James found himself on the wrong side of the door, debating on whether he should knock or just try his luck and walk in. He could tell that she had finished her bath and judging by clinking of the perfume bottles, was most likely sitting at her dressing table. He opened the door slightly and could see her sitting with her back to the door, so he cautiously entered the room.

M looked up, saw James in the mirror, and then went back to filing her nails, purposely ignoring him. James crossed the room and put his hands on her shoulders as he leaned down and gently placed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm sorry Olivia" he said softly

M turned in her chair and glared at him

"Who the hell do you think you are? You have no right to call me that, I could have you shot just for thinking it" she snapped as her eyes filled with tears

James pulled her up from her chair into a tight, protective embrace, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and held her tighter than ever before. M struggled against him for a minute before she finally gave in and wrapped her arms around his waist, as she began to cry.

"James...promise me that you'll never leave me" she sniffed

"I promise" he said cradling her against him "I just don't know what to do to keep you safe"

"Yes you do...Let me talk to Ivan" she said softly

"We've been over this..."

"Just let me try" she pleaded as she looked up at him "For some reason Sergei thinks I know something, and if Ivan was with me, he may be able to tell me just exactly what it is...I may be the only one he will tell, so you have to at least let me try"

"I can tell by the look in your eyes that your mind is already made up about this isn't in" replied James with a bit of a crooked grin

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is" she said in a determined tone

"No chance talking you out of it?"

"No"

"Alright, but I want to be there" he said in an equally determined tone

"Fine... but not in the room, he may not tell me if you're there"

James shook his head and smiled as he leaned down and pulled her into a deep kiss as he maneuvered her back toward the bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked with a grin

"Well...now that you're in a better mood there was something I wanted to ask" he replied as he fiddled with the tie on her dressing gown

"Oh...and what was that?" she asked as she climbed on the bed and pulled him next to her, curling up beside him with her head on his chest

"Well, I need you to be completely serious for a minute and look at me"

"When have you ever known me NOT to be completely serious?" she said pulling back to look at him

"I just thought that possibly I should ask you properly to marry me" he replied as he leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose "I know you already said yes, but you have to admit it wasn't much of a proposal"

"Oh I see" she said in a mock serious tone "So if you were to properly propose, just what would you say?"

"I would say Olivia..."

"What?" she said narrowing her eyes

"Well I can't very well propose to you using your title can I?"

M gave him a curious look before she finally consented

"I suppose not...very well please continue" she said as she did her very best not to giggle

"I would say Olivia Mansfield, would you marry me?" he said as he looked at her, waiting for her response, which took longer than he expected

"Well...Let me see...Marry you...I'll have to think about that for a minute, after all marriage is a big step and we wouldn't want to make a hasty decision now would we" she said with a twinkle in her eye

James watched her intently as she "thought" about it before he finally couldn't stand it anymore

"Are you going to say yes or not?" he asked impatiently

"James" she whispered as she leaned up and captured his lips in a tender kiss "I already said yes once, what on earth would make you think my answer would be any different the second time around" she said with a laugh "But let me make one thing perfectly clear. You may only use my given name at home, when no one else is around"

"Of course" he replied as he pulled her to him

"And I am still your boss, so no funny business at the office"

"I assumed as much" he said with a grin "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"What if I were to push that handy little button on your desk and seal off your office?"

"James, that button is only to be used in case of emergencies and I hardly think..."

"What? Kissing my wife doesn't qualify as an emergency?"

"James!"

"Alright...Hands to myself until we get home" he said sounding rather disappointed as he kissed her temple "I love you"

"That's good, because I love you too" she replied as she snuggled closer

"I don't suppose you're hungry?" he said changing the subject

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I happen to know that Jack has dinner waiting downstairs if you're feeling up to it"

"I don't suppose he would be willing to bring it up to us?" she asked teasingly"

"He's an agent not a waiter, and besides it would be rude to expect him to eat alone" replied James as he untangled himself from her and got off the bed pulling M along with him

"I guess you're right" she said with a small laugh as she followed along behind with a slight pout

"Don't worry, we can pick up where we left off after dinner" he said with a mischievous grin

As the two of them made their way downstairs, they found Jack setting the table.

"I see you've set the table for three?" said James as he stood in the doorway grinning at Jack

"I was trusting in your power of persuasion to get her down here to eat something, we can't have her collapsing when she goes to see Ivan" replied Jack with a knowing look

"How did you know I agreed to let her go?"

"Because she always get's what she wants" he replied as he walked over and offered her his arm "Right this way Ma'am" as he escorted her to the table

"Thank you Jack" she said as she sat

"James, be a good boy and go fetch the wine in the kitchen"

"Why me?"

"Because I cooked, and the least you can do is get the drinks, besides I'm already sitting down" he teased as he quickly took a seat next to M

"You two!" she said with a wide grin "I haven't had this much attention in God know how long, and how is it that you know I want to talk to Ivan? I didn't tell you that?" she asked curiously

"Yeah...How did you know about that, we've only just discussed it upstairs? Were you listening at the door?"

"NO!" Jack replied defensively "It only makes sense that she would want to know what he knows given what he has already said, and she may be the only one who can pull the rest of the information out of him"

"There...You see!" she said proudly as she looked at James "I told you it was a good idea for me to talk to him"

"I didn't say it was a good idea for you to talk to him, but I do think it's our best option of getting to the bottom of this mess" replied Jack in a serious tone

"So do you think you can arrange it?" she asked

"Yes, but you're not going in alone"

"That's what I said" interjected James

"Well of course I wouldn't be alone, you two Knights of the Round Table will be on the other side of the glass" she smirked

"There's just no point in trying to reason with her is there" replied Jack in a perturbed tone

"I would think you would have learned that by now" said James with a grin

Jack just let out a long, deep sigh as he picked up his wine glass.

"Cheers" he said as he took a drink "Now eat your dinner you two, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	26. Chapter 26 Chapter 26

**As I will be gone for a few days next week, I'll try to wrap this up soon, or at least leave it where it's not a huge cliffhanger :)**

M stood in the small room with the window adjacent to the interrogation room waiting for the guards to bring Ivan. To the ordinary person, M looked calm, cool and collected, but to those who knew her well she was anything but. She kept wringing her hands and gnawing on her bottom lip apprehensively as she stared at the empty room.

"You alright?" asked Jack as he put his arm around her

"Never better. Why do you ask?" she replied nervously

"Because if you're not careful, you're going to bite a hole in your bottom lip"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Look M, He can't hurt you. He will be in restraints and bolted to the floor and James and I will be just on the other side of the window. Ordinarily we would have the door shut, but in this case, it will be wide open, so we will be there before you can blink if you need us" he said reassuringly

"Thank you Jack." she replied turning to face him "I need you to do something for me" she said in her usual business like tone

"Anything for you. What is it?"

"It's James...I don't know how he's going to react to all of this and..."

"Don't worry. I'll sit on him if I have to, you just concentrate on getting all the information you can"

It was about that time that James appeared in the interrogation room with Ivan and three armed guards. James insisted on accompanying Ivan so that he could personally witness the restraints and locks being put into place. Once he was satisfied that M would be completely safe he came around to the observation room to ask her one more time if she was sure she wanted to do this.

"M...He's ready when you are" said James as he stood beside her and took her hand in his.

M nodded and continued to stare thru the glass

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to" he said softly

M gave his hand a strong squeeze and walked toward the door, as she stood there for a moment, she took a deep breath and entered the interrogation room and took the seat opposite Ivan.

Ivan looked up and studied her face carefully for a moment before he finally recognized her.

"It's you" he said with a mixture of shock and amazement in his voice

"Then you know who I am?" she replied dryly

"Well I knew who you were. Is it really you?"

"Aren't you sure?" she asked

He looked at her for a few more minutes before he finally answered

"I can tell by your eyes" he finally said "They were the most beautiful bluish green"

"Thank you" she said quietly "Now that we have established that you know who I am, I need to ask you a few questions" she said flatly

"I assumed that was why you wanted to see me"

"I need to know why, after all these years were Anton and Sergei Marrinov so interested in finding me?"

A smile formed across Ivan's face as he settled back into his chair

"Anton always wanted to find you, you became his obsession in a way. He followed your career and always knew where you were, he loved you in a way" replied Ivan "Sergei on the other hand had another motive"

"But why? What is it he thinks I know?"

"The truth. You know the truth"

M cast him a slightly confused look

"About what?

"About him, and what a monster he really was. Not only do you know the truth, you have proof"

"I don't know anything" she said sounding rather puzzled at this new revelation "and I certainly don't have any proof"

"Yes you do" he said quietly "We gave it to you"

"But when? I don't remember being given anything?"

"Anton knew about his brother, in fact, in a way he was afraid of him. Sergei was so hot tempered and volatile, no one ever knew what would set him off next. It was his idea to kill your partner and make you watch. He wanted to torture you worse than you were, but Anton protected you. He saw what his brother had become, and it sickened him. The last night you were with us, Anton had planned on rescuing you and taking you away. Do not misunderstand, he still had every intention of trying to flip you, but killing you was never an option. Sergei learned of the plan and managed to make sure that Anton was detained, giving him enough time to nearly kill you, before he left you for dead on the side of the road. If you recall, it was late autumn and the cold was what kept you alive until we were able to reach you. I and a few of my men took you to a small..."

"Farmhouse. You took me to a farmhouse" replied M softly

James stood there listening to the conversation while he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.

"You ok?" asked Jack

"I was hoping he would just tell her and not make her relive the whole bloody ordeal" he snapped as he continued to listen to Ivan speak.

"Yes. There we dressed your wounds, and kept you warm and safe until your people could come for you" replied Ivan

"But how did they know where to find me?"

"Anton himself sent them an anonymous tip"

"I didn't know?"

"You were barely conscious, so I'm not surprised that you don't remember what we told you"

M shook her head as she tried in vain to remember that awful night

"You have had all the evidence you need for the last forty years. Anton knew it and in the last few years, it became increasingly important to him that you find it and let the truth be known, but Anton's mind was failing and he let it slip to a filmmaker one day that you had proof. Sergei was furious and vowed to hunt you and anyone associated with that mission down"

"But I..."She started to say

"I assume that your government keeps all evidence when an agent is shot" he said bluntly

"Yes" she said hoarsely "It's kept in the archives"

"Then that is where I would start looking if I were you" he replied

M could tell by the last statement that Ivan was done talking and rose to leave.

"For what it's worth Mr. Kaminski, Thank you" she said as she left the room and burst into tears.

James quickly came around the corner and put his arms around her as he led her away from the interrogation room. Once M had calmed down, she immediately went into Boss mode barking out orders and demanding a phone.

"M. Who the hell do you think you're going to call?" asked James as he reluctantly gave her his burner phone

"First Tanner, then Q" she said as she started dialing the number

Bill sat at M's desk attempting to wade through a mountain of paperwork when Eve buzzed and informed him that M was on the phone.

"M...Good to hear from you" he said nervously as he looked at the shambles that was her desk

"Tanner, no time to explain. Do you remember the files I asked you to pull from the archives the other day?" she asked sounding rather impatient

"Yes of course" he said fumbling for a pen and paper

"Good, I need you to go to the evidence archives and retrieve anything pertaining to those files and meet me at Q branch immediately" she said in her all too familiar "You had better be waiting for me when I get there" tone

"Yes Ma'am" he replied before he realized he was speaking to a dial tone

"What was that all about?" asked Eve as she stood in the doorway

"I've got no bloody idea, but I had better get going. We all know how she hates to be kept waiting" he said as he rushed out the door

As James, Jack and M neared the door, it suddenly occurred to Jack that he did not have the proper security clearance to be granted access to the famous Q branch, so he abruptly stopped dead in his tracks.

"Jack...what are you doing?" asked James with a quizzical look on his face

"I shouldn't be here" he said quietly

"Of course you should" replied M as she put her hand on his arm "You of all people should be here"

"But I don't have the proper clearance, and it could cause a bit of a stink later"

"Jack" replied M as she stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek "You have ME and that's all the clearance you need, so get you arse moving"

"You're the boss" he said with a win as they continued their walk

"I guess we know how the New Zealand chap fits into the picture now" said James as they waited for the lift

"Poor guy. Had no idea what he was getting himself into" replied Jack

"Enough chatter" said M sharply "When Tanner arrives I want you two and Q to go over every inch of that evidence, there has to be something we missed" replied M

When they reached the lab doors M turned and started to walk away.

"And just where you think you're going" asked James as he reached out and caught her arm "I thought we agreed that you would stay close until this is over!"

"I'm in MI6 headquarters for Christ sake, how much safer could I be?"

"Look!" he said pulling her aside, "We don't know who we can trust at the moment, so if it's all the same to you, I would prefer that you stay with me"

"James, Stop Worrying, I'll be fine" she said leaning against him

"You'll at least stay here until I can get Morgan to escort you upstairs" he said as he leaned down and kissed her

"What do you think you're doing?" she said pulling back "I told you, hands to yourself when we're at the office"

"I decided if you can bend a rule then so can I" he replied with a slight grin followed by a serious look "I mean it, I really would prefer you stay with us, at least for now until we figure out what we're dealing with. You can use Q's office if you want some privacy"

"I'm sure he will be thrilled that you commandeered his office" she said with a laugh

"He'll be fine, I'll just tell him you did it"

"Thanks a lot," she said playfully slapping his arm "Like I said I'll be fine in my own office, just keep me informed if you find anything"

"You will wait for Morgan, right?"

"James I am perfectly capable of taking the lift to my office by myself" she replied pulling away from him

"And I am perfectly capable of kissing you again in front of the entire staff, so which is it going to be? Morgan or dying of embarrassment?"

"Fine, I'll wait for Morgan" she finally said with an angry yet adorable pout

"Good" replied James with a rather triumphant grin "Just be sure to wait where I can see you" he said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the lab

TO BE CONTINUED...


	27. Chapter 27 Chapter 27

**Just a short one for now :)**

M did as she was told, for the most part, and stood near the door waiting for her personal bodyguard Morgan to escort her to her office. While she was waiting, she took the opportunity to call Mallory from Q's office and bring him up to speed on what had happened with Ivan, and then resumed her wait at the door. After what seemed like an eternity Morgan finally arrived, startling her slightly

"Ma'am if you're ready we can go" he said stoically

"Yes, Thank you" she replied waiving at James as she turned and headed toward the elevator

The ride up proved to be uneventful, just as she had said, and when she arrived at her office, she was surprised to find the door open. When she entered her office, she had a look of shock, followed by a small burst of anger and then a deep sigh. Her desk looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, and Tanner was desperately trying to find bottom.

"Ma'am" he said with a look of total embarrassment "It's really not as bad as it looks" he said apologetically

"What the hell happened?" she asked trying to keep a straight face

"Mr. Mallory...that's what happened" he replied with a slight edge in his voice

"Really?"

"Seems he decided that with you away, I had nothing better to do than to cross check the expenditure reports with every mission for the last year to be sure that..."

"Yes I know. It's that time of year to work out the budget and he wants to see where we can make cuts." replied M in a slightly disgusted tone "It's alright Tanner, don't worry about this, just organize it as best you can and put in over on the table and we'll look at it together later"

"Yes Ma'am" he said as he gathered up the first stack of papers

"Do you happen to know where I might find Eve?" asked M as she glanced at her secretary's empty desk

"Oh she's with Anya"

"Who is Anya?"Asked M

"Mr. Mallory's secretary, Anya something or other. Anyway she was sent to pick up a file that Mr. Mallory wanted, speaking of which they have been gone quite a while." he said looking at his watch

"Well where did they have to go for this file? Timbuktu?"

"No..." he said slowly "It is a recent file, it should have only taken her about five minutes to find it" he replied with a hint of concern

"Well come on, I'm not supposed to be wandering the halls alone, they're probably just talking in the file room" said M as she headed out the door

Bill put the stack of papers he was carrying on the table and followed M to the file room. When they got to the door, they found it shut and locked.

"This is ridiculous. They can't possibly have locked themselves in can they?" he asked as he fumbled for his keys

"Not bloody likely" replied M with a worried expression

As soon as Tanner unlocked the door and entered the room, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. It all happened so fast that M never had a chance to scream as a cloth was placed over her mouth and nose and the room went black.

The lab was buzzing with Q, James and Jack all fighting over what little space there was on the table. Each examining every piece of evidence in the box Tanner had delivered. The box contained the clothing that M was wearing when she was found, the bandages that had been removed and the bullet fragments from her wounds.

"Why the bloody hell would you keep these disgusting bandages" asked James as he carefully removed them from the evidence bag. "What could they possibly tell you?"

"Procedure Bond. Somewhere we probably have an entire warehouse full of yours so stop complaining" snapped Q

Q was concentrating on the clothing, checking every seam, pocket and button for anything out of the ordinary while Jack examined the bullet fragments.

"You say she was shot 13 times with the same gun?" asked Jack

"That's what it says in the report. Standard Soviet issue sidearm...Why?" asked James

"Because unless I am mistaken these fragments aren't from the same weapon" said Jack as he held up a bullet that was almost completely intact

"Let me see that" said Q as he grabbed the bullet and put it under the microscope for closer examination

"Hand me a scalpel and some tweezers" he said never taking his eye off the bullet

James handed the instruments to Q, who carefully pried the top off the bullet and then removed a very tiny strip of film.

"What the hell is that?" asked James

"Let's put it under the scope and find out" replied Q as he placed the film on a light board and flashed the magnified image up on a screen

"Well hells bells, It's every document including photos implicating Sergei Mirrinov" exclaimed Jack as he stared at the screen in almost disbelief.

"Sergei Mirrinov?" asked Q with a rather perplexed look

"Yeah...Why?"

"Well, curiously enough, that name kept popping up on Mr. Mallory's secretary's computer"

"It would. He was part of the mission we were on" replied James sounding rather annoyed

"But if I am not mistaken, that mission was last week correct?"

"Yeah..So?"

"I ran a sweep going back to when she started, eleven months ago, and that name appeared regularly in the encrypted transmissions..."

"Have you told Mallory?"

"I didn't think much of it since he is her great uncle" replied Q innocently

"You didn't think much of it!" shouted James

As James was preparing to launch another verbal assault on Q, Tanner stumbled into the lab with blood dripping a cut on his forehead

"What the hell happened to you" shouted Jack as he helped Tanner to a chair

"Tanner...What happened?" asked James as he gripped Tanners arms

"They've got M and Eve" said Tanner breathlessly "Morgan is unconscious and his weapon and security badge are missing" he managed to say before he passed out

"SEAL THE BUILDING!" shouted James "Q...TURN ON THAT LOCATING GADGET IN M'S ARM AND FIND THEM!" he continued as he ran for the lift with Jack close behind

TO BE CONTINUED...


	28. Chapter 28 Chapter 28

**Sorry, this took a little longer than I intended :)**

As M was beginning to regain consciousness, she could hear a soft moaning next to her. She turned and opened her eyes just far enough to be able to make out the form of her secretary, Eve lying beside her.

"Eve" she whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yes Ma'am" she replied weakly

"Can you move?" asked M quietly

"Not exactly, my hands are tied behind my back, how about you?

"The same"

"Any chance you can get your hands free of the ties?"Asked Eve as she struggled to sit up

"No...They've used hand cuffs instead of rope"

"Ma'am, forgive me for asking, but who are these people and what do they want?" asked Eve

"It's connected to the mission that 007 and I are currently working on"

"What mission? I thought you were on a business trip" replied Eve sounding rather shocked

"This is what happens when you are a retired agent working for the same agency, every so often you are called back to "Active Duty" unexpectedly" answered M

"You mean they actually sent you out on a dangerous mission?"

"Don't sound so surprised, I was a damn good agent, back in the day" snapped M

"Sorry M, I didn't mean it to sound..."

"I'm sorry Eve. It's not your fault, I should have expected something like this could happen and kept you in the loop, but..."

"I know...need to know basis and at the time we didn't need to know"

"How long do you think it will take for James to realize we're missing?"

"That all depends on how engrossed he and Jack are in the evidence they are analyzing, but knowing James and how unhappy he was that I wanted to go to my office alone...It won't be long" replied M trying to sound hopeful

"Where do you suppose we are?" asked Eve

"I have no idea" replied M with a slight hint of worry in her voice

It wasn't long before they heard footsteps and muffled voices from what they assumed was the hallway, and then the door opened, flooding the room with an incredible bright light that nearly blinded both women.

"Good...You're awake" they heard in a tone that had a strong Russian accent

M struggled to sit up and squinted to see if she could identify the face that went with the voice

"Get them up and ready to travel" was what they heard next

"Where are we going?" asked M calmly

"Your presence has been requested," replied a female voice

"And if I refuse?"

A hand reached out from the light and struck her hard across the face.

"This is one invitation you will not be refusing" replied the voice

M and Eve were roughly pulled to their feet and half dragged, half escorted down a long hallway, before being shoved into a small delivery van.

"Be careful with her" said the woman motioning to M "We want her alive and unharmed"

James and Jack sprinted up the five flights of stairs to the top floor, only to find the medical team attending to a dazed Morgan and an empty office.

"Get me Q" shouted James at one of the guards

"James...calm down" said Jack "They can't have gotten very far"

"OH REALLY!" snapped James "This is the bloody headquarters for MI6, and we didn't think they could get in here either, but they did! I never should have allowed her to come up here without me"

"James, we'll get them back...we'll get HER back" said Jack in a determined tone

"Sir, I have Q on the line" said one of the guards as he handed James a phone

"Q, Tell me you have good news" said James as he began to pace around the office

"Not exactly" replied Q

"Tell me they're still in the building"

"Well...No. Once you ordered the building sealed, someone used Morgan's security badge to override the system and exit the building thru the loading dock.

"Could you see who it was?"

"It was a woman and two men, and they definitely have both M and Eve"

"Well where the hell are they now?"

"They're on the move. They were at a warehouse in the garment district, but they are apparently are in some sort of vehicle heading north"

"Well seal off the exits to the whole bloody city if you have to" shouted James

"That would be impractical not to mention nearly impossible being that it is rush hour" replied Q "We're tracking them as best we can. They seem to be heading north, out of the city"

"Where the hell are they going?"Asked Jack

"There is an old air strip about an hour north of their last known position, they could be heading there" replied Mallory, who had arrived minutes earlier, basically unnoticed due to all of the activity

Jack immediately pulled out his phone and began dialing

"What are you doing?" asked James

"We can't afford for them to get her in the air, if you thought tracking her through London rush hour traffic was difficult, just imagine how damn difficult tracking an unmarked plane is going to be." snapped Jack "I'm calling in some reinforcements, the US airbase isn't far from there, they can keep an eye on that airstrip until we can get there"

"Forgive me for asking Mr. Ward, but why would the Americans want to get involved in this?" asked Mallory curiously

"Because Mr. Mallory, She is technically an abducted Head of State, and an ally of our agency, and we take these things very seriously, and also because she is my friend" replied Jack bluntly

"Look Mallory, unless you have something useful to add to this situation, I suggest you step out of the way and let us do our jobs" snapped James

"Quite right" replied Mallory as he pulled out his phone "You two take a team and get to that airstrip, I, in the meantime am going to call in every available agent who isn't on a critical mission. In the event that they are able to get to the plane before we do, where do you think they will take her?"

Jack and James stared at each other with puzzled looks. They really did not have an answer to the question.

"Kolbino" said Tanner as he stumbled toward them

"What?" replied James

"The original mission took place in the small town of Kolbino, which is several miles East of St. Petersburg. If Mirrinov is intending to finish what he started then that is where he will take them"

"What makes you think that's what he's doing?"

"First off, if he wanted her dead we would be dealing with bodies, not missing persons, and secondly, they took Eve instead of leaving her behind. I suspect that he intends to replay the events of the original mission, right down to making her watch them kill her partner again" replied Tanner

The color began to drain from James' face as Tanners words sank in. He knew Tanner was right, but they could not afford to make a move until they were sure that was actually the plan.

"My guess is they wanted James, but since that was nearly impossible they took the next best thing, which was Eve. The only thing they have going for them at the moment is that Eve isn't just a secretary, she is also a trained agent, but Anya would know that already as she works for Me" said Mallory quietly

"We need to get to that airstrip" snapped James

"The rapid response helicopter is waiting on the roof" chimed Q as he hurried into the room with an arm full of equipment "Here is you weapon, extra ammunition, an earpiece, a GPS locator so you can track their movements and a few extra gadgets for good measure, now get going" he said in as excited of tone as Q could muster "And remember that Eve also has a tracking device in her arm so if they are separated, you will know it"

"Thanks Q" replied James as he and Jack took off for the roof

TO BE CONTINUED...


	29. Chapter 29 Chapter 29

**For Rebaforever15 and ForeverMBond, Thank you for being my faithful readers. I decided to skip describing the rest of the traveling so the next chapter will start several hours later once they are already there, but here is the explanation of why this is all happening :)**

The van came to an abrupt stop, causing M and Eve to momentarily lose their balance, but two strong arms came around them keeping them from toppling over.

"Thank you" said M quietly as she shifted around so that she was leaning against Eve

"What now?" whispered Eve

"I guess we wait and see"

The doors of the van slid open and the two men got out to talk to Anya before turning back and pulling M and Eve from the van.

"This way" said one of the men, pushing the women toward what appeared to be a rather dilapidated airplane hanger

With their hands fastened behind their backs, M and Eve stumbled across the uneven ground until they reached the door and stared in almost disbelief at a small jet that was waiting for them.

"I guess we're going for a ride" said M dryly

"Keep quiet and get in" said Anya

"Where are you taking us?" demanded Eve, which only resulted in her being slapped across the face

"Ask your boss, I'm sure by now she has a good idea of where you are going" replied Anya

"Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?"

"Don't you know? Didn't they tell you who I am?"

"No, all I know is that you are Mr. Mallory's secretary" replied M

"You really must speak to your people about their lack of communication. Particularly when it comes to key information" she replied with a laugh

As M and Eve were strapped into their seats, Anya took a seat opposite them and began to explain her involvement.

"I am Anya Gorsky, Sergei Mirrinov was married to my aunt Lydia. You remember Lydia don't you M?"

M thought long and hard before shaking her head

"No...I'm sorry, I don't remember her" she replied

"Are you sure? Think hard and I am sure it will come back to you. She was rather tall, with long black hair and beautiful brown eyes and a fantastic smile complete with an adorable dimple...Are you sure you don't remember her?"

M thought again before suddenly a look of pain and then fear appeared across her face

"That was your Aunt?"

"Oh so you do remember"

"Vaguely...she was caught in the crossfire the night we were captured"

"You mean killed in the crossfire don't you?"

"Yes" said M softly

"She was what you considered collateral damage, however my uncle didn't see it that way" she continued "You want to know why he didn't kill you? He wanted you to suffer as much as he did, by making you watch as he killed the man you loved, but when you didn't beg and plead for his life..."

"So this is about revenge for her death"

"Among other things. When that film maker arrived last year, asking all kinds of questions it brought back all of the anger and when Anton told him that Uncle Sergei was responsible for most of the atrocities that had been committed..."

"But there was no proof..."

"Oh but there was, and if that film had ever been made, someone would have gone looking, much the same way they have now and he would have been exposed"

"But who is to say that they would have found the proof, I didn't even know it existed and I was there"

"Enough talk" said Anya, abruptly ending the conversation

M was glad for the break in the conversation. The situation had gone from a simple mole at MI6 to revenge and that is never a good sign. In her experience, when a motive changes to revenge, all rational thoughts go out the window and it's anybody's guess what would happen next.

James and Jack, along with a tactical assault team were counting down the minutes until they arrived at the airstrip, while Q was relaying information about Anya and the movements of the vehicle to them.

"I have new information about Anya if you're interested" said Q

"Go ahead" replied Jack as James seemed rather preoccupied

"Her name is Anya Gorsky, she is the niece of the late wife of Sergei Mirrinov, and I emphasize the word "Late". Apparently she was killed by none other than M herself the night she and Agent Maxwell were captured..."

"Well that's that mystery solved," snapped Jack

"What?" asked James, who had only been half listening to the converstation

"James, I don't know how to tell you this, but we have a much bigger problem on our hands"

"What?"

"This lunatic isn't after state secrets, he's after revenge, which means..."

"Right" snapped James as he leaned forward and spoke to the pilot "Change in plans Q" said James as he sat back in his chair

"What do you mean? If you try you could still make it to the airstrip" protested Q

"No. Tell Mallory to send every available agent to Kolbino, if we catch them now M will never be safe, they'll just keep trying until they get her"

"So let me get this straight, you are going to use the Head of MI6 as bait to catch a notorious cold war criminal?"

"Something like that...Just give Mallory the message. Jack and I are on our way to the US airbase. We will meet the teams at a safe house in St Petersburg and coordinate a rescue when we get there" replied James

"I take it you have a plan?" asked Jack

"Not yet, but I'm working on it" said James with a wink "M's no fool and by now she's figured out or she's been told what this is all about, so if I know her, the little wheels in her head are spinning about a million miles a minute"

"Let's just hope one of those little wheels has a plan attached to it" muttered Jack under his breath "We all know how your no plan plans usually turnout"

M shifted uncomfortably in her seat before she finally broke the silence to ask a simple question.

"Anya, do you suppose that it would be possible to uncuff us as there is absolutely no chance we could escape?" asked M

Anya thought about the request for a moment before motioning to one of her men

"Although you cannot run, I am not taking any chances so I will at least let you have your hands in front of you" she said

"Thank you" replied M "What do you intend to do with us once we arrive?"

"That is entirely up to my Uncle" said Anya with a wicked grin as she settled back in her seat for the rest of the ride.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	30. Chapter 30 Chapter 30

Active Duty Chapter 30

As soon as their plane touched down, M and Eve were whisked away in a van with blackened windows. Their destination was still uncertain, but what little M could see led her to believe that they were being taken away from the city centre.

James and Jack arrived moments earlier via military transport and were already reroute to a safe house on the outside of town to meet with both the American and British agents who had been assembled to carry out the mission of rescuing M and Eve, as well as, capturing Sergei Mirrinov. Along with the teams, Jack had somehow managed to convince the Russian government officials to lend them a few trustworthy operatives for the mission. Their knowledge of the surrounding area would prove to be quite useful, and due to the gravity of the situation, the extra back up couldn't possibly hurt.

"How the hell were you able to get us Russian agents?" asked James as he continued to watch the small GPS screen Q had given him

"I very nicely explained that this is a matter of National Security, and we were going in with or without their permission. I also mentioned to them the latest evidence we found with regards to Mirrinov and may have suggested that unless they cooperated, that information might happen to find its way to the nearest worldwide media outlet. Can you imagine how it would look for the government to have given one of the most notorious cold war criminals immunity? Once they had time to think about it, they were more than willing to help us out with this joint venture of ours"

"Well played my friend" replied James with a smile

Once they had arrived at the safe house, Jack went around taking a count of how many men they had at their disposal as well as an inventory of weapons and other gadgets that were avilable.

"Any news on M or Eve?" asked Jack as he put on his glasses and inspected the gadget that James was holding

"No, it appears that we were right and they are being taken to Kolbino"

"What the hell is in Kolbino?" asked Jack

"A fortress that's what" came a reply from a tall, clean shaven man standing in the doorway

"Victor...how nice of you to join us" replied Jack as he crossed the room to shake the man's hand

"Jack" replied the man "It's really been too long. You should have given us more notice and we could have rolled out the red carpet, no pun intended" he said with a laugh

"Yeah, well about that...we never intended to be here or I would have given you a heads up on the situation"

"If I recall, you tried, but you just didn't have enough evidence at the time"

"Well we do now, in spades I might add"

"I've had a chance to briefly look at what your people have sent over and it is more than enough for us to bring him in..."

"Well if you thought what we sent was enough then you will be elated to find out that he has kidnapped the head of MI6 and her secretary and is having them brought to him as we speak"

Victor's expression immediately turned very serious

"Jack, we knew that if we were to go in after him there was a good chance he would be killed, but this puts a new spin on the problem"

"What kind of spin" asked James sounding a bit worried

"And you are?" asked Victor

"James Bond, British Secret Service... and you are?"

"Sorry James...Victor Federov, Meet James Bond. Victor is head of Russian Counter intelligence."

"Mr. Federov" replied James coolly

"I take it you know the head of MI6 and her secretary"

"You could say that" snapped James

"Gentlemen. Gather your men and meet me in the sitting room. If this plan has any chance of working, it will need to be precise down to the millisecond. Mirrinov is an excellent straightest and will have planned for almost every conceivable form of retaliation" replied Victor

"He's a cheerful ray of sunshine isn't he" replied James as they followed Victor to the sitting room

When they arrived at their destination, Eve and M were once again pulled from the van, marched across a small courtyard, thru a large, heavy looking door, and then down a dimly lit hallway to a room with one extraordinarily small window. Once they were in the room, their hands were freed from the hand cuffs and they were left alone.

"Well...so far so good" said Eve in an attempt to lighten the mood "At least they've kept us together"

"Don't count on it" replied M rather stoically "This is what he did last time...let us believe that we were safe, but we weren't...far from it in fact"

Eve put her arm tentatively around M's shoulders in an attempt to keep her calm.

"He'll find us" she said quietly

"I know, but what will happen when he does? Mirrinov isn't going to just let him walk in here to get us. We have to find a way to help from the inside. Eve, whatever happens, just know that I am so sorry for getting you involved in all this" said M as she turned to the younger woman with tear in her eyes "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but..."

"M" replied Eve "This isn't your fault, so don't you dare go blaming yourself. There isn't any place I would rather be than right here with you, and I will do whatever it takes to keep YOU safe so don't you forget that" she said bluntly "Rememer that I'm an agent as well and my duty is to protect you"

"Thank you Eve, you're a good girl" replied M gently cupping Eve's face and resting her forehead against Eve's

They could hear the echo of footsteps coming closer and with every step, M's entire body tensed. As the door opened, M could see the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway. The man entered the room and grabbed Eve's arm, roughly pulling her away from M and dragging her from the room as he slammed the door behind him. As she heard the bolt slid across the door she slid down the wall and began to cry. "I've got to pull myself together" she thought to herself as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks

"Damn it" snapped James as he pace around the room

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"They've been separated" replied James "We've got to get in there"

"Well what did you have in mind? Just walk up and ring the doorbell and ask if they would be so kind as to return your wife and her secretary" snapped Jack out of frustration

"His wife?" asked Victor as he walked into the room "You didn't tell me she was his wife"

"Well, not yet, but when this is over..."

"Mr. Bond, we will do everything in our power to get them back, but for now you have got to remain calm. Maybe this isn't the best place for you to be right now" replied Victor

"This is exactly where he should be. He is her top agent, He will have no problem keeping his emotions in check, and if anyone can get them back in one piece it's 007" said Jack

"I hope you're right, for their sake"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	31. Chapter 31 Chapter 31

**For RebafForever15 and ForeverMBond...Trying really hard to wrap the up before I leave for a short vacation so I don't leave you hanging :)**

M sat alone in the cold dark room with her thoughts wandering to the past and the mistakes that were made, and then to the more recent past, with James and how happy she was in spite of everything that was happening at the moment, and then suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a scream. "It was Eve...it had to be Eve" she thought as she pulled herself up with a renewed sense of determination that history, would most definitely NOT be repeating itself if she had anything to say about it. She made her way to the door and began pounding, and screaming at the top of her lungs as if her life depended on it, hoping that someone would hear her. Within minutes, one of the guards was outside the door.

"What's going on in there?" he asked sounding a bit annoyed

"Well open the bloody door and find out" she snapped in her famous "Don't mess with me" tone

The guard opened the door and stared down at her and asked again

"What seems to be the problem?"

"I want to see him...Sergei and I want to see him now!"

"He will call for you when he is ready to see you" replied the guard

M, being in no mood to discuss the matter further with an underling, raised her foot and kicked him squarely in the kneecap, causing him to double over in pain. By the time he had bent down to inspect his leg, M had taken off her shoe and hit him just above the temple with the heel, causing a small puncture to his head. The guard, although momentarily stunned, managed to yell for assistance before charging into the room and grabbing M, hurling her toward the wall.

As M lay dazed on the ground, the other guards arrived and began assessing the situation. After a few minutes of struggling with her, they collectively decided that they had had enough of this tiny terror, and it was time for Mr. Mirrinov to deal with her himself. Altogether, it took four guards to escort her to Sergei. One on each side with one in front and one behind. When she refused to climb the stairs the largest of the four guards handed his weapon to one of the others, threw her over his shoulder and carried her the rest of the way, dropping her rather unceremoniously at Sergei Mirrinov's feet.

"She's all yours" snapped the guard as he retrieved his weapon

"What happened to your head?" asked Sergei as he looked at his guards

"Her" he said pointing to M, who was still sitting at his feet as he handed Sergei her missing shoe

"I see" he said with a laugh "You may go, I will handle this" he said looking down at the now furious M for a moment before extending his hand to help her up "Let me help you up"

"No thank you, I can do it myself" she snapped as she pulled herself up and reached for her shoe

"I will give you back your shoe on one condition...you must keep it on your foot" he said with a grin as he handed her the shoe

"Where is my secretary?" she asked sharply

"You never did believe in wasting time did you" replied Sergei as he motioned for her to sit

"You didn't answer my question!"

"She is safe for now"

"I want to see her"

"And you will, but first we have a few things to discuss" he said as he circled around her chair like a vulture waiting to strike before he finally stopped directly behind her with his hands digging into her shoulders.

"You wanted me and you got me. Let her go. She has nothing to do with either mission" said M calmly

"While this is true, she is still someone that you care about and that makes her very useful to me" he said as he moved to stand in front of her, placing his hands on the arm rests of the chair, making it impossible for M to move "You will do whatever it takes to keep her alive as long as I have her"

"How can you be so sure?" she asked as she stared directly into his eyes

"Because" he said as he leaned forward until his face was inches from hers "Unlike before, this time you chose to fight back"

M leaned back as far as the chair would allow before Sergei pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her in his embrace. The height difference made it nearly impossible for M maneuver as he bent down and captured her lips in a rather rough kiss. M struggled against him, wiggling and kicking the entire time.

"Just as uncooperative as before" he said before releasing her and shoving her back into the chair

M wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she watched him closely as he began to pace around the room.

"I've spent years thinking about this day, and now that it's here...well"

"What? Suddenly having a change of heart?" she said sarcastically

"No" he replied dryly "Anton was right about one thing" he said as he stopped to look at her

"And what was that?"

"The years have been kind to you, you are as beautiful now as you were then" he said before continuing with his pacing

"May I ask what you plan to do with me now that I'm here?"

A wicked grin played across his face

"This time I intend to take my time, and make you suffer and when you think you can't suffer anymore, I will continue until you are nothing more than a shadow of your former self. How does that sound" he snapped as he stared at her

Things at the safe house were progressing, but not as quickly as James would have preferred. Victor somehow managed to obtain the blueprints for the fortress and every possible plan from digging tunnels to parachuting in was being discussed.

"We have to find a way to distract them" said Jack looking at the plans "We would need an entire army to surround this thing and even then it would be a long shot that we could get to the house in time"

"It's going to have to be a multi strike operation. I just wish we could get someone on the inside before hand to cut down on the time issue" replied Victor shaking his head "Air assaults are out of the question, he would see it coming, and a ground assault like you said will take too much time... we need..."

"A Trojan horse" said James almost absent-mindedly

"What?" said Jack as he turned to look at James

"A Trojan Horse, It's just simple enough it might work"

"You have to be kidding" replied Jack "That is really grasping at straws"

"Victor, as far as he knows, he still works for you so it wouldn't be that out of the ordinary for you to drop in shall we say for a chat"

"I'm listening" replied Victor

"We send in you with your agents, whom he knows and has worked with so he wouldn't be all that suspicious and if we planted one or two of our agents with your team..."

"He might not suspect we're on to him"

"Exactly..."

"And just what reason would I give for the unexpected visit?"

"The same reason you gave Jack for not going to get him in the first place...Not enough evidence to support rescinding his immunity. Look, we all know that he is as unstable as the day is long, so he just might fall for it. Make him think you're on his side"

"It could work if he is as distracted as you say"

"That would put a team on the inside and give us a better chance of success"

"Right, I'll get to work on it" replied Victor as he walked out of the room

"James...do you really think this half baked plan will work?"

"Honestly...No, but it might at least get us to that doorbell" he said with a wink

TO BE CONTINUED...


	32. Chapter 32 Chapaer 32

**For Rebaforever15 and ForeverMBond, I will do my best to post another chapter before I go on vacation :)**

Jack and James were quietly discussing the rescue plans when Victor walked back into the room with a rather curious look on his face.

"What's up?" asked Jack

"I've just had an idea and I wanted to run it past you, keep in mind it's only an idea"

"Ok shoot...we're open to just about anything at this point" replied James

"We know that he wants M to suffer, that point he has made abundantly clear, but what if we gave him what he wants instead of trying to fool him" said Victor in a hushed tone

"I'm not sure I follow" replied Jack

"Sure he has M and her secretary, and no doubt he knows that she cares about the young woman, but what if I was to offer him a better option...say someone she truly loves? He may be willing to release the secretary to me if he had someone else she cared about more to take her place"

Jack just stared at Victor for a moment, pondering the suggestion

"It may be a better way to get in the front door" said Victor with a hint of optimism

"Just exactly WHO did you have in mind?"

"How about her husband" replied Victor as he looked directly at James

"But they're not married yet" protested Jack "And in any case we can't afford to have..."

"That just might work" interrupted James "IF you make him believe that you are on his side and you've captured me, he may agree to the exchange, and then we would only be rescuing one person instead of two"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR EVER LOVING MIND!" shouted Jack "How would we ever be able to protect you and M at the same time?"

"I've already thought of that and I've got a plan" replied James as he quickly got up and went to the table to look at the floor plans again.

"Oh this ought to be good" snapped Jack sarcastically "Just what brilliant plan did you come up with in the last 45 seconds"

"Breadcrumbs" he said as he continued to study the plans

"Breadcrumbs?"

"Look, we can tell by the locators where M and Eve are being held, so finding them won't be much of a problem. I have the same locator in my arm, so one call to Q and you will be able to monitor me as well. Now as for the breadcrumbs, we are going to need a distraction once we get in there. Do you remember that box of plastic disks that Q sent?"

"Yeah" replied Jack cautiously

"They're actually very handy little bombs for lack of a better word. You drop them in strategic places and then with a turn of the dial on my watch, they explode thus causing a disturbance. Because they are clear, they won't be easily seen, so if we could drop these bad boys every so often when we enter the building, we just might be able to cause enough of a distraction to get to M"

"Just how big are these "Bombs" you're talking about?" asked Victor

"No bigger than a bottle top, but flat, and they are really more like sophisticated firecrackers, but they do the trick"

"It could work" replied Victor

"James, even if we could get you in there, you wouldn't have a weapon. How exactly do you intend to defend yourself? Throw these little bombs at them"

"No, Victor would have to wear my watch as I'm sure I would have to be restrained to make it look real, and then..."

"That could be easily arranged. We could rig a pair of handcuffs that you could easily slip out of, and one of my men could get you a weapon in all the confusion"

"You two seem to have forgotten one tiny detail..." said Jack as he came around the table "M. Just how do you plan to get her out without getting her shot in the crossfire?" He asked curiously

"She was an agent...we could get her a weapon so that she could..."

James and Jack looked at each other for a moment before they both said in unison

"No...Best to leave the shooting to us"

Victor did not quite understand their reaction and assumed they had a very good reason for not wanting her to have a gun, so he pressed on with ideas for the "New" plan.

M silently watched as Sergei paced around the room, becoming more and more anxious with every step.

"I would like to see Eve" she said again quietly

"And so you shall" he said, stepping to the door to summon his other prisoner

When he returned, he had a pair of handcuffs in his hand

"I can't afford to take any chances with you" he said, grasping her wrists and placing the cuffs on them

"Just where do you think I'm going to run?" she asked sarcastically as she stared at the cuffs

"I just want to make sure that in the event that you manage to escape, you won't be able to get far" he said as he kissed the back of her hand

A few moments later Anya arrived with Eve. M took one look at her and let out a gasp. It was obvious that she had been beaten by the angry bruises that were beginning to form on her cheeks, and her swollen lip and eye. As M started toward her, she felt Sergei's arm go around her waist, holding her back.

"Let me go to her" she said in a shaky voice

"You only said you wanted to see her, and you have" he replied as he held her to him

"It's alright M, I'm fine" said Eve in a rather defiant tone which only caused her to receive yet another slap across the face from Anya

M tried to break free of Sergei's grip, but she was held firmly in place as she watched her secretary nearly topple over from the force of the blow.

"Patience Anya!" snapped Sergei as he began to relax his hold on M "It is not time yet" he said firmly "Take her back"

M could not remember the last time, in recent years, she had felt so helpless as she watched Eve being dragged away.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked as she angrily turned to face him "We both lost people we cared about, so why are you punishing me"

"Because you killed her, and Anton was willing to let you get away with it because he cared for you" he replied sharply

"He didn't even know me, and if you recall she was shooting at me, what else was I supposed to do let her kill me?"

"Enough!" he shouted

"This isn't about me is it...it's about him. You wanted to make him pay for sending Lydia into harm's way and you thought be bringing me back you could make him suffer, but instead he ended up dead..."

"Once again at your hands" he snapped as he slowly began backing her up against the table

"And whose fault is that?" she said dryly

Sergei raised his hand to strike her, but stopped as he heard a knock at the door.

"What is it!" he snapped

"Sir, you have a phone call" said one of the guards

He lowered his hand and shoved M into the nearest chair as he picked up the phone.

M only had the benefit of being able to hear one end of the conversation, but whatever was being said was either amusing or intriguing to Sergei as a curious smile began to form across his face.

"It would seem that the life of your secretary is worth more to your people than your own" he said with a twisted smile as he hung up the phone and called for Anya

Anya appeared in the doorway moments later with a puzzled look on her face.

"My dear...we are going to have visitors" he said with a smile "Go and get the secretary. She is going to be exchanged for a much more preferable guest"

M's mind began to race as she tried to think who would be more preferable.

"I must admit that I wanted to make you suffer, and your secretary was the only person available, but in all fairness, your husband is a much better choice, don't you agree?" he said coolly

"My husband?" she replied as her eyes widened

"It would appear that there is more to you than meets the eye. My sources tell me that your latest partner is also your husband." he said rather arrogantly "I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to take away the one person you truly loved as you took away my Lydia"

M stared at Sergei in disbelief. "What were Jack and James thinking?" she thought to herself. All she could do was pray that whatever plan they had come up with actually worked, as Sergei seemed to be becoming more unstable by the minute.

To Be Continued...


	33. Chapter 33 Chapter 33

**I wanted to at least get them back in the same location before I leave for vacation :)**

Sergei spent the remainder of the afternoon taunting M every chance he could get while they waited for "Her Husband" to arrive with whoever was on the phone.

"I really would have thought that your husband would have been more careful" he said with a laugh "You didn't train him very well did you?"

"As I've told you before, he isn't my husband" she snapped

"That's what you say, but I've had Anya do some digging and the court records don't lie. You were married over three months ago, what I want to know is how you managed to keep it a secret?" he said with a grin as he leaned down and nibbled on her ear lobe

"Oh for the love of God, do you mind!" she said angrily pulling her head away

"My dear, the love of God is what you're going to need to stay alive" he replied suddenly very serious

M just glared at Sergei as they heard a knock at the door

"Come in" he snapped a he turned to face the door

"Sir, they are here"

A few hours earlier at the safe house, everyone was receiving their final briefing on the mission.

"Just so we are all clear on the matter, rescuing M is the main objective here, I don't give a shit if we capture Sergei alive or dead, SHE is the top priority understood?" said Jack adamantly

"Yes Sir" was the reply from the Agents as they all turned to leave for their appointed positions

"James...a word please" said Jack as the others left

"What did you want Jack?"

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? There is still time to come up with another plan?"

"Jack" James began "Unless a winged monkey comes flying out of your arse with a golden telegram marked "Better Idea" then this is the best we have, and I'm not wasting one more second, understand" he said calmly

"Alright then" replied Jack as he started to turn away and then suddenly turned back and punched James in the face, sending James flying backwards into the wall

"Come on Jack, you're going to have to do better than that" replied James as he got up

"Ok...you asked for it" he said punching him repeatedly until James finally put his hands up and then went to look in the mirror

"There" he said examining his face "That should do the trick"

"You just be sure and tell her when this is over that this was YOUR idea" replied Jack as he put his hand on his friends shoulder "Go get her James, and remember, I'm right behind you"

"Are you two ready" asked Victor as he poked his head thru the doorway "What the hell happened to you?" he said looking at James' bloodied face

"We can't have this lunatic thinking I gave up without a fight" replied James with a wink

"The car is outside" said Victor with a note of apprehension in his voice

"Now you're clear on the order of events?" asked Jack

"Yes" replied Victor "I arrive at the fortress, deliver James to Sergei, make him think that we don't believe the evidence we've been sent implicating him, ask for the Secretary and once we have her, I turn the dial on the watch and you begin your assault"

"You forgot one thing" said Jack

"Oh and what is that?"

"Remember to put in your ear piece, you may need to turn that dial sooner than planned if things start to go pear shaped" replied James as he slipped in and out and then back in to the modified hand cuffs

"James, did you remember that little cap gun thing?"

"Yeah...it's strapped on my leg near my knee, and it's not a cap gun. It can fire two rounds accurately from a short distance" he said sounding a bit irritated

"And just how do you plan to get to it genius?" asked Jack

"The magic of Velcro." he replied with grin "Just rip and grip"

"Yeah, Yeah, just get going and keep your head down"

M fidgeted in her chair as Sergei eagerly waited for his visitors.

"It won't be long now" he said with an add grin

"You're really enjoying this aren't you" she snapped

"I just love to watch you squirm" he whispered in her ear as he forcefully pulled her to her feet and held her to him as he kissed her hard

M was struggling against him when they heard a knock at the door and he quickly released her from the embrace.

"That will be my guests" he said cheerfully as he crossed the room and answered the door

M leaned back against the desk, trying to catch her breath when she looked up and saw James with his hands tied behind his back, and bruises on his face being led into the room by an armed guard and a rather tall, middle -aged, distinguished looking man.

"Victor" said Sergei as he kissed the man on both cheeks "Welcome"

"Sergei" he replied as he quickly glanced around the room until he spotted a rather pale and tired looking M "I've brought you a gift" he said motioning to James

"So this is him the famous 007" replied Sergei as he eyed James "He looks taller than I remembered, but then again the last time I saw him, he was sitting down with his arm around his lovely wife"

James glared at Sergei before turning his attention to M who looked visibly shaken by his appearance

"Are you alright?" he asked with obvious signs of concern in his voice

"Yes" she replied hoarsely

"Come now...is that any way to greet your wife?" Said Sergei as he grabbed M's arm and pulled her until she was standing in front of James

James bent down as M leaned into him and rested her head against his chest

"Just play along with this" he whispered in her ear

"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't take any unnecessary risks" she said as tears began to form in her eyes

"That was before you decided to go to your office by yourself" he replied "I decided that if you could break the rules then so could I"

"You never were very good at following orders were you" she said with a weak smile

"Not when they are foolish orders"

"James" she said as she reached up to cup his face "I love you" she whispered

"I love you too" he replied as he leaned down and kissed her "Don't ever forget that"

"That's enough" snapped Sergei as he reached over and pulled M away from James "Take him" he said to the guard, who immediately dragged James from the room.

"Where are you taking him?" asked M with alarm

"I have plans for you two, but this isn't the appropriate location" he replied

"Sergei, if you have no further need for me, I believe we had an agreement. One husband for one secretary?" said Victor desperately trying to change the subject

"So we did...Bring her in" he said to his guard

A few moments later Anya appeared with a clearly exhausted and battered Eve.

"What is it you want with her anyway?' asked Sergei curiously

"We have need for what you might call a scapegoat and she fits the bill quite nicely" replied Victor as he walked over and inspected Eve

"A scapegoat for what?"

"It would seem that misleading information about you has been leaked to our government, and as it has been proven to be false, we need someone to take the blame, and who better than the Secretary to the head of MI6, caught in the country illegally" he replied with a smile

Eve's eyes widened in horror as she listened to the conversation. She only began to calm down when she glanced back and forth between M and James and by chance happened to catch him wink at her.

Jack sat in his appointed position, listening to the entire conversation and growing more anxious by the minute

"Shit" he said loudly

"What is it Sir?"

"They're going to move them" he said angrily "It was bad enough when we thought we were going to have to try to rescue them from that room, but now we have no idea where they're going to take them"

"Relax Sir" said one of the Russian agents. "We have a few guards placed in and around the fortress, and Mr. Bond gave them some of those little exploding disks, so no matter where they take them, we WILL find them"

As Sergei and Victor finished their business, M began to have a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew that James had to have a plan or he would not have allowed himself to be paraded in here like a lamb to slaughter.

"Thank you for the gift" said Sergei sarcastically as he walked Victor to the door

"I am sure you will put him to good use as I will put her to good use" he replied as he motioned to Eve

Victor grabbed Eve by the arm and headed down the long hallway toward the car. Eve struggled slightly until Victor leaned toward her and whispered in her ear.

"Just keep walking" he said "I will explain later"

Once they had turned the corner, Victor reached into his pocket, pulled out an earpiece, leaned down, and spoke into what appeared to be a button on his jacket.

"If you can hear me, now would be a very good time" he said just above a whisper

TO BE CONTINUED...


	34. Chapter 34 chapter 34

**Sorry this took so long. I was a lot busier on vacation than I had planned. I promise the next chapter won't take so long :)**

M sat in the chair nervously as she listened to Sergei bark out orders regarding James.

"Make sure he is secure and unharmed, we wouldn't want to deprive M of doing the honors herself" he said as he glanced at her with a wicked grin

"What honors?" she asked curiously

"Oh you'll see" he replied as he finished his conversation and hung up the phone

M could tell by the way he slowly sauntered toward her that he was up to something, and when he reached her, her suspicions were confirmed. He reached down and grasped her arms jerking her out of the chair and pulled her to him so that his face was a mere inches from hers

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it is rude to interrupt someone when they are on the phone" he asked in a taunting tone

M glared back at him as she felt her knees begin to buckle slightly. It took all of her energy and concentration to remain standing as he continued

"Difficult as it is for you to understand, You are not in control of this situation, and you will just have to be patient" he snapped

"May I see him?" she asked boldly

"I don't know why you are in such a big hurry to see him, as it will be the last time you will see him alive"

XXX*********************************************** *************************XXX

Once they were safely in the car, Victor spoke a bit louder into his lapel

"Did you hear me? Now would be a very good time" he repeated

"Not now" he heard Jack shout thru his earpiece "They've separated them and we need them together if this plan has any chance of working"

"And just how do you plan to arrange that?" replied Victor

"M has to know that if James is in there than we have a plan, and she should have figured out by now that the plan will only work if they are together, so I am relying on her to get them in the same room. We can monitor their locations on this GPS thing and as soon as they're together we will commence with the rescue, but not a second before or we risk losing both of them" he snapped

"What's happening?" asked Eve sounding a bit confused

"We are about to mount a rescue mission. Getting you out first was the easy part. James decided that it made more sense to only have to rescue one of you, so he insisted on the trade so that he would be on the inside..."

"But he's going to have his hands full with Sergei and Anya not to mention all of the guards they have, Who is going to rescue M?"

"Don't worry, we have a plan" replied Victor

"Stop the car!" she shouted

"Not on your life" he replied as a delivery van passed them "There goes the plan" he said motioning to the van "Just sit back and relax Ms. Moneypenny"

XXX*********************************************** ********************XXX

Jack was crammed in the false bottom of the delivery van with three other agents waiting patiently for the two dots on the GPS to be located in the same room.

"Sir, not to be rude, but she will figure it out won't she?"

"Don't be stupid, she's been doing this since before you were born. Knowing her she has not only figured out the plan, but has had enough time to organize a dinner party while she's waiting" he said nervously

Jack studied the GPS again and then knocked on the floorboards.

"What is it?" asked one of the agents, who was posing as a delivery man

"They're on the move" he replied with a hint of excitement mixed with worry in his voice

XXX*********************************************** ********************XXX

Sergei hung up the phone and then put his arm around M as he escorted her toward the door.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked as he opened the door and led her down a long hallway

"You said you wanted to see him, so that's where we are going" he replied

M was led down a long series of hallways and then down a long, steep stairwell to the lower level of the fortress to a room that slightly resembled a dungeon, where she saw James sitting on a chair with his hands behind his back. James heard M gasp slightly as she entered the room and winked at her in an attempt to calm her fears.

"Would you like to kiss him goodbye" asked Sergei as he looked down at her with a twisted smile

M was stunned by the question as she slowly looked over at James before she finally shook her head yes. Sergei released his grip and shoved her toward the chair as he leaned back against the wall and waited. M slowly walked toward James, doing her best to remain calm. As she reached the chair, her eyes began to fill with tears as she leaned down to rest her head against his.

"I love you" she whispered "But you're a fool to risk you're life for me"

"It says for better or for worse" he replied with a smile

"What does?"

"The marriage vows. They clearly say for better or for worse and I just decided to get the worse out of the way first" he said with a slight grin

"I hope to God you have a plan" she whispered as she cupped his face and kissed him

"Just keep your head down" he said as he kissed her

"Enough" shouted Sergei as he pulled M away from James and took her to the other end of the room "Stand clear" he shouted as he held M close to him with her back against him so she was facing James. Then he picked up a gun and put his arms around her, placing the gun in her hands, with her finger on the trigger and his over hers. "I assume you still know how to handle a gun" he said coolly "But of course you do, you shot Anton, how stupid of me"

M stared at James as the tears began to slip down her cheeks

"I can't do this" she said in a shaky voice

"Don't worry, I'll help you" he said as he leaned down and nuzzled her neck

"What are you doing?" she asked as she tried to wiggle free

"I just want him to know that when he is gone, you are mine" he replied as he turned her slightly and kissed her hard before turning her back to face James

XXX*********************************************** *********************XXX

When the delivery van came to a stop, the agents opened the door and made quick work of the guards on the dock before opening the false bottom to release Jack and the other agents. When Jack was sure that James and M were together, he took out a small box and pushed the button on the top setting off a series of small explosions in and around the fortress. Guards came running from every direction and were quickly neutralized as the agents entered the smoke filled halls in search of James and M.

"You two go that way, and you three go that way" he shouted as he un-holstered his gun and charged thru the door "You three come with me" he snapped as he began running, using the GPS as a map

XXX*********************************************** ************************XXX

As Sergei began to assist M in aiming the gun, a series of explosions started to go off, causing him to turn just enough for M to break free from his grasp. James took advantage of the distraction to slip out of the handcuffs and grab the small gun strapped to his leg as he quickly shot and killed two of the guards. As M took cover behind one of the stone pillars, James managed to grab one of the guard's guns and began shooting at the rest of the guards. Sergei, clearly confused by the gunfire and the smoke ran out the side door and up the stairs with James close behind. As they crossed an intersecting passageway, Jack shouted at James

"Where is she?"

"Still in the room below" he yelled as he continued his pursuit

"I'll get her" shouted Jack as he raced down the stairs

No one had noticed Anya hiding behind one of the other pillars in the room and once the guards had left she stepped out to find M pointing a gun at her.

"You won't shoot me" she said smugly as she took a step toward her "You don't have it in you, and according to your file, you are a terrible shot"

"Ask you uncle how well I can shoot" snapped M as she kept the barrel of the gun on Anya

As Jack made his way to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped just outside the door and listened to the conversation between the two women.

"That was a luck shot and we both know it. I've read your file" she said with a wicked laugh "You couldn't do it again if your life depended on it"

M began to shake, more out of anger than fear, but she also knew that Anya was right. The shot that killed Anton was a lucky shot. The chances of her actually hitting Anya with her hands tied together were slim at best.

"I suggest you put the gun down before you hurt yourself" said Anya as she took another step forward

"I don't want to have to shoot you, but I will if I have to" replied M as she adjusted her aim again.

Anya knew that all she had to do was make a quick lunge at M and she could easily disarm her, but she rather enjoyed taunting her.

"You know it was quite easy to get hired in as a secretarial temp at Whitehall. You might want to consider vetting your employees a little more carefully" she said as she took another step "That is if you survive" she added

M's arms were beginning to get tired holding the gun as she tried her best to hold her aim.

"If I were you, I think I would be more concerned with my own fate than the hiring practices of MI6 and Whitehall" snapped M

"We both know that you will not shoot me" said Anya as she took a step closer "If that was your plan you would have done it by now, which makes me think that you won't or can't"

M's hands began to shake as she took a small step back, just far enough for Jack to be able to see her.

Jack knew that Anya was right, If M had intended to shoot her then she would have by now which only meant that she was afraid of what would happen if she missed.

M suddenly gasped as Anya lunged at her, but Jack suddenly stepped out from the stairwell with his gun in hand and reached around M, pulling his trigger. Anya had a surprised look on her face as she slumped to the floor. M's knees finally gave way sending her toward the floor as well, but Jack, who already had one arm around her managed to catch her as she fell, easing her to the floor before he wrapped his arms around her and took the gun from her hand.

"Jack" said M weakly as she clung to him

"It's alright M, I've got you" he said as he held her close

"Where is James?" she asked

"Let's not worry about him right now. He's a big boy and he can take care of himself" he replied as he scooped her up and started up the stairs "Right now we need to get you out of here"

M leaned her head against Jack as he gently carried her to a waiting car. The other teams had managed to take care of most if not all of the guards around the perimeter of the fortress, leaving just the guards inside and Sergei.

As the car sped away toward the safe house, M began to drift in and out of conciseness as Jack gently cradled her against him. She had been deprived of both sleep and food, and the stress of the whole ordeal was beginning to catch up with her.

"How is she Sir?" asked the driver as he sped along the road to the safe house

"She's alive" he said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead "She's alive"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	35. Chapter 35 Chapter 35

**For RebaForever15 and ForeverMBond. Thanks for being so patient. Now that I finally have them back in the same place I can finish the story. :)**

James continued up the stairs after Sergei, ducking behind whatever was available to avoid the bullets that kept whizzing past his head. At one point, as he was mid tuck and roll to avoid being shot, he managed to fire at a guard hiding behind a door.

"Hey..Watch what you're doing, I'm on your side" shouted the guard

"Sorry mate, hard to tell who is who thru all the smoke. Which way did they go?" he shouted back

"That way." he said pointing to a staircase heading toward the roof" My guess is they are headed to the roof"

As they reached the roof, James took cover behind a chimney to avoid the barrage of bullets flying at him, as the other agent began firing at the pilot of the waiting helicopter. James began circling around to the side firing continuously, making it nearly impossible for Sergei to make it to the door. Between the two of them, they managed to get close enough to take out most of his bodyguards and wound the pilot, but that did not seem to matter much to Sergei. As his remaining bodyguards continued to fire at James and the other agent, Sergei could be seen pulling the man out of the pilot's seat, taking his place, attempting to fly the helicopter himself. He managed to finally get it off the ground, but James was able to put several bullets in the fuel tank and control panel, causing it to begin listing to the side as soon as he attempted to fly. James stood on the roof with a small hint of satisfaction as he watched the helicopter careen toward the ground rotor blades first before it exploded.

"That was for M" he said under his breath as he spun around just in time to see the other agent finish off the last of the remaining guards.

"I'm sorry?" replied the other agent

"Oh nothing. Are we about done here?" he asked slightly out of breath

"Yeah, we've pretty much got things under control. You better go and get that arm looked at"

"What? Oh it's just a flesh wound" he replied as he rubbed his arm "Has anyone heard from Jack?"

"Yes Sir. The last report was that he was on his way back to the safe house and had requested a medic"

"A medic?...For Who?"

"M I suppose" replied the agent as James took off on a dead run for the first floor

XXX*********************************************** *******************XXX

By the time they had arrived at the safe house, M had completely lost consciousness. Jack gently carried her in, laid her on the bed, and waited for the medic to arrive.

"Come on M, don't give up on me now...we've come too far to let it end like this" he said as he held her hand and gently kissed her knuckles

"Sir...if you could just wait outside" said the medic when he arrived

Jack reluctantly went to wait in the hall as the medic closed the door to attend to M. After what seemed like an eternity, the medic reappeared with a less than happy look on his face.

"Well...how is she?" asked Jack apprehensively

"Considering her age, she is doing as well as can be expected. She is suffering from dehydration and exhaustion along with shock, and the sooner we can get her back to London and in the hands of her own people the better"

"Is she conscious?"

"Just barely. I would not try to talk to her right now. What she needs more than anything is rest"

"Thanks" replied Jack as he stood in the doorway and watched her as she rested

XXX*********************************************** ***********************XXX

James did everything but slide down the banister to get to the front door quickly. Once there he found Agent Connor waiting for him.

"Right this way 007" he said ushering him to a waiting car

"How is she?" asked James anxiously

"Truthfully I don't know. My orders were to retrieve you as soon as possible and get you back to the safe house" replied Connor

The ride back to the safe house seemed to take forever with James constantly stomping on the floorboard of the passenger side as though he had his own gas pedal. Before Connor ever had a chance to put the car in park, James was out of the car and thru the front door where he immediately collided with Jack.

"Where is she?...Is she alright" asked James anxiously

"James, calm down and come with me" replied Jack in a serious tone which instantly worried James

"Is she in there?" asked James as he started toward the bedroom

"Yes, she's in there, but you can't go in there right now"

"Why?...What is it? What's wrong?" asked James as he narrowed his eyes and glared at Jack "Why did you call for a medic?"

"I know you love her, but she's been through a lot. She is suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and shock. The doc says what she needs right now is rest and as soon as she is able, we will get her back to London and get her thoroughly checked out by your own people, but she is in no condition to travel at the moment, and you busting in there looking like you do is only going to upset her, so I suggest that you go get cleaned up, and then when you have calmed down you can see her" replied Jack firmly as he put his hand on James' shoulder

James was extraordinarily unhappy with the request, but he finally agreed to get cleaned up and have his arm looked at before he saw her. Once he had showered and had his wound, which amounted to nothing more than a flesh wound, dressed he stood outside the door having an internal debate with himself as to whether he should enter or wait a bit longer.

"What are you waiting for?" asked Jack as he leaned against the wall

"What if she doesn't want to see me?"

"Christ James...You are the first person she asked for when I got to her. Just get in there already" he snapped

James slowly opened the door and poked his head in the room to see M lying on the bed. As he walked toward her, he saw how pale and worn out she looked and it brought tears to his eyes. He knelt next to the bed and took her hand in his as he leaned up and laid his head on the pillow next to hers. She seemed to stir for a moment, turning her head slightly so that her head was resting against his.

"So do you still think my orders were foolish?" she mumbled as she squeezed his hand

"Only when they put your life in danger" he replied as he gently kissed her forehead

"Did you get him?" she asked weakly

"Yeah...we got him. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow"

"Mmmm" she mumbled as she drifted back to sleep

James got up and climbed in bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her as she turned and curled up against him with her head resting on his chest.

"I love you James" she whispered

"I love you too M, Now go to sleep" he said as he cradled her against him and fell asleep.

To Be Continued...


	36. Chapter 36 Chapter 36

**For RebaForever15 and ForeverMBond, I couldn't let things go smoothly for these two hehe :)**

As M opened her eyes she was startled to find that she was not alone in bed, but it only took a few seconds for her to realize that it was James who was snoring away next to her, so she snuggled a bit closer and began running her fingers lightly across his chest in an attempt to wake him.

"Good morning" he said quietly as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head "Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you" she replied as she leaned up on her elbow to look at him.

As she was about to lean in to kiss him, she noticed a bright red spot on his cheek and suddenly pulled back

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked with a puzzled look

"What's that on your cheek?"

"What?...Where?"

"Right there" she said as she ran her finger over the spot

"It's probably just where something hit me during the gun fight yesterday" he said rather matter of fact

As M sat up to give it a closer look, she noticed a few more spots on his neck and chest. She began to back away slowly causing James to become concerned.

"It's really nothing" he said as he reached out to her

"Well unless you were running around with your shirt off that isn't shrapnel damage, let me see your arms" she said in a firm tone

"M this is ridiculous" he said as he extended his arm

As she worked her way up his arm she found several more spots and then when she pulled back the sheet she found even more spots on his chest and abdomen.

"JACK!" she shouted as she got out of bed and backed up toward the door

Jack, hearing M scream, came bursting thru the door with his gun drawn

"What is it?" he said in a worried tone

"We need a medic" she replied as she stood across the room from James

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Just find me a medic" she snapped as James attempted to get out of bed "And you STAY PUT!"

Jack was a bit confused, but he complied with her request and returned a few minutes with a medic as instructed. M pulled the young man aside and explained her theory of the spots and then took Jack's arm and led him out of the room.

"Do you think he was poisoned?" asked Jack nervously

"No, nothing like that, but if I am right, the trip home could be rather interesting" she said with a slight grin

After a few minutes the medic reappeared with a puzzled and yet comical expression on his face.

"Well?" asked M

"You were right, but how did you know?"

"Know what?" asked Jack

"Because I'm a mother and I've seen it before" she replied as she looked thru the doorway at James and shook her head

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" snapped Jack as he headed for the door to the bedroom

"Sir, I wouldn't go in there if I were you" said the medic, in all seriousness

"Why what's he got? The plague"

"No, nothing like that, but almost as irritating. I need you to check with everyone in the house and see if they have all had Chicken Pox" replied the Medic as he did his best to keep a straight face

"Chicken Pox? At his age?"

"It has been known to happen. I would have said it was Shingles, but they aren't clustered like Shingles, so that leaves Chicken Pox"

"Jack, why don't you go make sure that all of your agents have in fact had Chicken Pox, while I go and tend to James" said M with a grin

"What about you? Have you had it?"

"Of course, and I've had the shot for Shingles, so I should be fine" she said as she headed toward the bedroom to talk to the rather unhappy James.

M could hear Jack yelling down the hall for the other agents as she went to stand at the foot of the bed.

"I've been shot, nearly blown up, involved in more car accidents than any normal human being and I get sidelined by a children's disease" he snapped

"It could be worse" she said with a laugh

"HOW?...explain to me how this could be worse!"

"According to the medic, it hasn't spread any further than your abdomen. Any lower and that would be worse" she said trying to contain a grin as she moved to sit beside him. "Do they itch?" she asked

"Yes...as a matter of fact they do" he said pulling the sheet up around him

M did her best to console him, but he was not being very cooperative.

"James, let me see, maybe there is something we can put on them to make them less irritating"

"No!" he snapped "I would rather just suffer" he said with a pout

"Oh do be a grown up" she grumbled as she leaned over and felt his forehead "You seem to be running a slight temperature, let me at least get you an aspirin"

"I'll tell you what I do want, and it doesn't include aspirin" he said with a sly grin

"Sorry James, but that will have to wait until they have scabbed over"

"And how long will that take?" he asked rolling his eyes

"A few days..."

"Great...I finally rescue you and now I can't touch you." he replied with a pathetic look

"But at least you get to see me which is more that you got when I was with Sergei"

"Yeah...about him...He didn't...I mean you weren't..." James could not bring himself to finish the sentence

"No. Apparently, his old body works like mine...when it feels like it. Either that or he just simply wasn't attracted to an old woman" she said as she kissed the back of his hand

"I'm betting on the first part. He would have to be an idiot not to fall for you...Hell even Jack fell for you, and he never falls for anyone" quipped James

"Thank you James for that enlightening analogy" she said sarcastically

"Well at least this chapter of your life is officially over and we can get on with OUR new chapter" he said with a wink

"About that..." she said quietly "You know that I love you, but..."  
"But what?"

"I just don't think it will work" she said bluntly "You will always be away, worrying about me, and I will get even less accomplished when you are on a mission, and I just don't see any way around this and..."

"I do" he said flatly "M, all due respect, but I quit!"

"You what?"

"You heard me. I quit, effective immediately"

"You can't just quit"

"I just did"

"I forbid it!" she snapped

"You can't, I don't work for you anymore" he said smugly

James couldn't quite pin down M's expression. It was one of anger, hurt and surprise all rolled into one, and he was sure that the rant that was about to follow would be epic, but he was counting on that.

"James Andrew Bond, in case you have forgotten, you belong to MI6, you have an obligation to Queen and Country not to mention me to fulfill you duties to the best of your abilities, and quitting is not an option for someone in your line of work. I do not now, nor will I ever accept your resignation. You are the best agent I have, I depend on you... I love you" she said as tears began to form in her eyes

"I know," he said as he reached out and pulled her to him "I just needed you to remember that"

"That was not really fair you know" she said as she snuggled up beside him

"I know, but I've never been one to play fair where you are concerned" he replied as he leaned down and kissed her deeply

When Jack walked back into the room and all he could do was shake his head.

"What is it with you two?" he said "Do you really want to give her what you've got?"

"Relax Jack" replied James "She's already had Chicken Pox..."

"But she could still contract Shingles with or without the shot, and at her age, no offense M, it wouldn't be good"

"Thank you for your concern Jack, but I think I'll take my chances" she said with a laugh

"Well I just thought I would let you know that we've taken a vote and we are going back to London in the jet that Mallory sent and YOU are going back on a military transport. We don't want to be exposed to this any longer than we have to. M you are welcome to come back with us if you want."

"Well being that I have already spent the night with him, I don't see how I can be any more exposed than I already am, so I will come back with James"

"Suit yourself" he said as he turned and left

"So is the wedding still on or not?" asked James quietly

"It's on, but only if you take back what you said about leaving"

"I never said anything about leaving, just quitting my job, there is a big difference. Leaving you was never an option" he replied as he held her close

"Why don't you get some rest while I phone Mallory with the mission details and see to the arrangements for getting home. I think that WE will be taking the jet and the others will take the transport. There is no reason for you to suffer anymore than necessary" she said as she gave him a quick kiss and got out of bed

"That's my M" he chuckled to himself "She always gets her own way"

T BE CONTINUED...


	37. Chapter 37 Chapter 37

The flight home was long and tiresome for both M and James. Every time M seemed to drift off to sleep, she would be jolted awake by turbulence or she would start to replay the events of the last few days, and James kept fidgeting in the seat next to her as he desperately tried to find a comfortable position.

Once they had arrived back in London, they were immediately taken to the medical department of MI6 where they were both checked over thoroughly. James' diagnosis of Chicken Pox was confirmed and he was started on medication and given ointment for the spots to control the itching and released, M on the other hand was found to still be suffering from dehydration and exhaustion along with a bit of post traumatic stress which was causing her blood pressure to soar to unusually high levels. Against doctor's orders, she checked herself out of medical, stating that all she really needed was to go home and rest, and no one going to argue with the head of MI6.

"I really think you should have stayed and at least let them monitor you blood pressure over night" said James flatly as they headed toward M's flat

"I think I know my own body well enough to know that all I need is some peace and quiet!" she snapped

"Well you will at least take a few days off right?"

"I'll rest tomorrow and then I have a debriefing with Mallory and then at some point I need to get back to my office. God only knows what shape it's in"

"Hey" he said putting his arm around her "You've been through a lot and you've earned a bit of time off... "He said in a serious tone

"I'm fine!" She retorted in a stern tone

James was all too familiar with that tone and thought it best to let the subject drop for the time being. When they arrived at the flat, M made her way up the front steps, unlocked the door and headed straight for the liquor cabinet, pouring herself a large scotch and collapsing on the sofa while James carried in the bags, depositing them in the hall and then joining her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as he pulled her to him

"No" she replied quietly

"Can I get you anything?"

"No" she replied as she pulled away from him and downed her drink "I think I'll go and have a bath" she said as she rose and headed toward the stairs

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice

"Do stop hovering, I said I'm fine" she snapped as she turned on her heals and headed upstairs

"She's doing it again" he thought to himself as he watched her leave the room. James waited until he heard the door shut before pulling out his phone and calling Bill Tanner.

"007, glad you made it back in one piece. How is M?"

"That's the reason I'm calling. I need you to do me a favor, I need you to find me the number for her children, Paul and Joanna" he said quietly, just in case she was listening

"I suppose, but why?"

"Because she seems to be in one of those black and white moods, you know, the one where I say black and she says white, anyway I think it would do her good to see them."

"I'll try. What do you want me to tell them?"

"Tell them as much as you can without divulging any state secrets. It's time they know the truth about their mother and what she's been through"

"You do realize that if she finds out, she'll kill you with her own bare hands"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take at this point, can you do it?"

"It may take some time, but I'll give it a shot, just don't get your hopes up"

"Good, thanks. Oh by the way how is Eve?"

"She's a little rough around the edges, but other than that she's fine"

"Glad to hear it. Tell her we said hello and call me when you have an answer on the other"

James sat on the sofa trying to decide if he should go up and check on M or just let her be. After about an hour, he finally decided to check on her, as she had not made a sound since going for her bath. When he opened the bedroom door, he found M tossing and turning on her bed trying to find a comfortable position.

"M...can I get you anything?" he asked quietly

"I've already told you that I'm fine" she said as she rolled away from him

"Would you like me to join you?"

"No. I think it would be best if you slept in the guest room. I'll never get any rest with you tossing and turning all night" she replied

"M" he said softly as he put his hand on her shoulder "Look at me"

M rolled over onto her back and stared up at him with a blank look

"What's going on? Why are you pushing me away?"

"I'm not, I just need to be alone"

"Alright, if that's what you want, but I'll just be in the other room if you need me" he said as he headed toward the door.

James waited about a half an hour before he poked his head back in the room to check on her. M seemed to finally be asleep so he grabbed a pillow and a blanked and proceeded to lie on the floor next to her bed. He could tell by her breathing that she wasn't having a very peaceful sleep, but what happened next concerned him even more. M began thrashing about the bed, mumbling loudly until she let out a scream that immediately sent shivers down James' back. James got up and sat on the edge of the bed, attempting to catch her flailing arms when she accidentally hit him square in the jaw, sending him flying off the bed, crashing into the chest of drawers. He stood up, rubbing his sore jaw, and started toward the bed again only to find M staring back at him with a terrified look on her face, and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"M...It's ok, it's me... James" he said calmly as he sat beside her

Her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out until she finally managed to say, "I'm sorry" in a most pathetic tone

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry I disturbed you"

"You didn't disturb me, I was lying here beside you in case you needed me" he replied with a puzzled look "I'm not you late husband, I told you I wouldn't leave you and I meant it"

M stared at him for quite a while before she eventually began to speak

"I keep seeing his face and hearing his voice" she said softly "I dreamt that he made me shoot you"

"Shhhh...It's alright" he said as he gathered her in his arms and began rocking her "He can't hurt you anymore"

"You know this is the third time you have had to rescue me and the third time I nearly got you killed" she mumbled as she held on to him

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but almost every order you give nearly get's me killed"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, it's just a fact. Moreover, if you think for one second that pushing me away is going to keep me safe then you are sadly mistaken. It's the nature of this business, I just make it a habit of beating the odds and coming back alive, and now I have something worth coming home to so the odds are now in my favor" he said with a smile

"You shouldn't be sleeping on the drafty floor in your condition" she said rather matter of fact

"Good point...slide over" he said as he began tugging at the blankets

"What do you mean slide over? Why don't you just get in on the other side, this is my side!"

"Let me guess, you have always slept on this side and he slept on that side"

"Well...Yes" she said

"Then think of this as a new adventure" he replied as he gently pushed her over

"But THAT is MY side" she insisted "I won't be able to sleep over here"

"Would you just give it a try?" he said with a deep sigh

"Fine, but I'm telling you it's not going to work" she said with a pout

As they both settled down, both stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before James finally propped himself up on one elbow

"Ok...you win" he said as he climbed over her, kissing her on the way and settled down on the other side of the bed.

"Told you so" she smirked as she cuddled up beside him and drifted off to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	38. Chapter 38 Chapater 38

M had an anything but restful night, waking every so often just long enough to open her eyes slightly and have James kiss her back to sleep, and James' constant itching and scratching and thrashing about trying desperately to get comfortable. By the time 6:00 am rolled around, James couldn't stand it anymore and finally got up.

"Sweet heart, I'm going to go down and make some coffee" he whispered as he gently kissed her temple

"Mmmmm...Ok" she mumbled as she rolled over and went back to sleep

Once downstairs, James put the kettle on and then phoned Tanner

"Morning Bill" he said quietly

"Christ 007, do you know what time it is?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, and what does it matter, you're already at work"

"Yes I know, but..."

"Did you have any luck with M's children?" interrupted James

"As a matter of fact I did, and you will never believe where Joanna works" replied Bill in an astonished tone

"Let me guess...Buckingham Palace" said James sarcastically

"No, but your close. M always thought that Joanna kept her distance because she hated her, but it's because she works for MI5" replied Bill proudly

"You're kidding"

"Nope. She goes by the name of Joanna Barnes and it has been kept a secret for obvious reasons"

"Is she an agent?"

"No, she's an analyst and she's been assigned to a branch in Canada for the last few years. She knew that her mother worked for MI6, but until last night, she had no idea that her mother was M. The whole thing has been carefully orchestrated to keep them apart so that their identities would not be discovered"

"I guess we have a lot more to worry about than just having M mad at us then don't we?"

"Well, not exactly. When I found out where she works and believe me I had to jump thru a lot of hoops just to get that far, I contacted Mallory and explained the situation and he phoned and got the clearance to contact her and tell her what has happened."

"Brilliant, it's the least that moron could do after causing all this in the first place. So you've contacted her then?"

"Yes, late last night. She happens to be in Paris at the moment, but she was taking the first flight out and will be here at 8:00 am"

"Bloody hell, that's only two hours from now. Can you arrange for a car and have her brought directly here to M's flat?"

"Consider it done...007...Do you think that's wise? I mean M's going to know you're behind this..."

"How mad can she be with her daughter standing here?"

"I hope you know what you're doing" replied Bill not sounding the least bit reassuring

XXX*********************************************** *****************XXX

James took a quick shower as quietly as possible, dressed, and then waited for Joanna to arrive. He had become an expert at watching both the front door and the sleeping M simultaneously. The last thing he wanted was for Joanna to ring the bell, waking M in the process. As soon as the car pulled up, James bolted out the door and down the stairs to greet Joanna.

"You must be Joanna?"

"And you must be James or should I say 007" she replied eyeing him suspiciously

"Err yes, anyway, right this way" he said motioning toward the front door

"What is the rush? Is my Mother alright?" she asked with panic in her voice

"She's fine, just asleep, and I thought it would be nice if you were the first thing she saw when she woke up is all" he answered in a hurried tone

"I see" she said as she looked at him as though he were slightly unhinged

"Would you like me to take you to her?"

"Thank you, but I think I can find her unless she has completely redesigned the entire second floor" she said with a smile as she began to climb the stairs.

Joanna walked down the hall to her Mother's bedroom not knowing what to expect. When she opened the door, she saw M curled up on the bed and she was struck by how small she looked. M had never been tall, but to Joanna, seeing her like this brought back so many memories of visiting her in the various hospitals when she was a child. M stirred and called out for James and was startled when she heard a different voice. Her eyes immediately flew open and she stared at Joanna with a confused look.

"Mum" said Joanna quietly

"Joanna? What are you doing here?...where is James?" she asked

"You mean your handsome bodyguard? Judging by the expression on his face when I arrived, he is probably downstairs bumping into the walls like a windup toy" she replied with a grin

"He isn't my bodyguard" snapped M as she began to blush slightly

"Oh I see" replied Joanna with a grin

"Why are you here? Not that I mind the occasional visit from you"

"Tanner called, or rather Mr. Mallory's office left a message for me to call Tanner"

"Why would Mallory's office call you?" asked M suspiciously

"Well, it's because of where I work..."

"Which is where exactly?"

"Mum, please don't be mad, I know that you never wanted me to follow in your footsteps, but I work for MI5..."

"Oh my God, please don't tell me you're an agent!"

"No nothing like that, I'm a mission analyst."

"But why didn't you tell me?" asked M sounding a bit hurt

"For the same reason you didn't tell me what it is that you do so don't go getting your knickers in a twist, for God's sake Mum you're the head of MI6 and I didn't even know it" snapped Joanna

"I couldn't tell you for security reasons. My God, my daughter works for MI5 and I knew nothing about it?"

"Well how do you think I felt when I found out that my Mother is one of the most powerful women in England, and that she put her own life on the line for Queen and Country without so much as a word..." replied Joanna as tears began to form in her eyes "Christ, you could have been killed and I never would have known"

"Oh Joanna" replied M as she reached out and pulled Joanna to her "I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you"

Joanna quickly crawled up on the bed and snuggled up next to her mother like a small child with her head resting on her mother's shoulder.

"So this is the real reason we had to visit you in so many hospitals when we were young isn't it? Dad always told us that you were not well and required many surgeries for your condition, but it wasn't true was it? It was because you had been injured in the line of duty"

"Yes" replied M quietly

"And when you took a desk job? Why weren't we told what you do?"

"It was for your own protection. Why is it that you never told me what you do?"

"For the same reason I suppose, to keep YOU safe" she shrugged

"Looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree" said James from the doorway watching the two of them

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" asked M curiously

"Oh nothing, just that you are both very good at keeping secrets, especially from each other"

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that I don't have to worry about you killing me when you've got your strength back" he replied with a smile as he crossed the room and leaned down and gave her a kiss "I've got breakfast ready downstairs if you're feeling up to it, or I could bring it up if you like"

"I'm not an invalid for Christ sake, we'll be down in a minute" she replied as she reached out and took his hand

"I'll see you both downstairs then" he said as he turned and headed back downstairs.

As James walked back down the hall, he couldn't help hearing the giggling that was coming from M's room.

"Is he always this attentive?" asked Joanna curiously

" pretty much" replied M with a grin

TO BE CONTINUED...


	39. Chapter 39 Chapter 39

**For RebaForever15, hope this puts a little cheer in your day and for ForeverMBond, thanks so much for sticking with me :)**

M and Joanna made their way down to the kitchen to find James busily plating their breakfast.

"I thought we would eat in the dining room if that's ok" he said as he carried the plates thru to the table

"Attentive and he cooks! Well done Mother"

"Thank you" replied M with a grin

While the three of them ate, they talked about the differences between their two branches of service, and the challenges that come with their respective jobs, but Joanna was careful not to pry into her mother's latest mission. She knew that if her mother had been willing to put her life on the line, then it had to have been important and when she was ready, she would tell her. She was however highly entertained by the endless stories her mother told about the antics of one 007 and how he never ceased to amaze her. It was the first time in a long time that Joanna had actually heard her Mother laugh and she had never seen her smile as much as she did at breakfast.

"As entertaining as this is, I really need to go and get settled in at the hotel" said Joanna as she rose from the table

"No need" replied James as he began clearing away the dishes "I took the liberty of putting your bags upstairs in what I believe was your bedroom" he said with a smile

"James, that was very thoughtful of you, but I couldn't..."

"Of course you will, I insist" interrupted M

"Well if you're sure I won't be a bother"

"This is your home Joanna, Never be afraid to come here, stay as long as you like" replied James as he grasped her hand and gave it a light squeeze before heading to the kitchen

"I think I will go upstairs and unpack" she said with a smile as she disappeared around the corner

M rose from the table and went to find James who was busily washing the last of the dishes.

As she stood behind him, she put her arms around his waist and pulled him to her, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you" she said quietly

"No need to thank me, it was only breakfast and after all we needed to eat" he said teasingly

"That's not what I meant and you know it" she said playfully slapping his arm as he turned to wrap his arms around her

"So I take it this means that you're not mad" he said as he leaned down and kissed her

"Not at the moment." she replied as she snuggled into his embrace "She likes you"

"Well that's good because I like her too, but not as much as I like you" he said with a smile

"Good Answer" she replied with a stern look that quickly turned into a smile "What made you call her? I could swear I told you..."

"I didn't know what else to do and I thought it might help you to have her around, besides it's high time that she knows what an amazing Mother she has and just how close she came to losing her" he said in a serious tone as he looked her in the eye

"James, I'm not sure that I'm ready to tell her..."

"You don't have to, just take it one step at a time. Let her... let Us take care of you" he said as he placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I need to out for a while, can you two manage to stay out of trouble until I get back?" he asked with a grin

"Why? Where are you going?" she asked sounding a bit panicked

"Don't worry, I'm just going by my flat to pick up a few things. I only have one change of clothes here, and now that we have company it just wouldn't do for me to go parading around in the nude now would it" he replied with a smirk

"Well since you put it that way, I suppose not" she said trying to suppress a giggle

James couldn't help but grin as he pulled her to him and rested his chin on the top of her head as he gave her a squeeze.

"What was that for?"

"It's nice to hear you laugh and to see you smile. You should do it more often"

"Well it helps when you have something to smile about" she said as she stood up on her toes and kissed him. "You had better get going..."

"Right, you two have a lot of catching up to do, and M..." he said as he brushed the back of his hand lightly across her cheek "Don't worry about telling her about what happened right now, just enjoy the fact that she's here and she wants to be with you, the rest will come in time"

James put his arm around her and escorted her up the stairs, depositing her in front of Joanna's bedroom door before he turned to head to head back down the stairs...

"James...what do I say to her?" she asked nervously

"What do most Mothers and Daughters usually talk about?"

"I have no idea, we aren't usual in any sense of the word" replied M

"She's your daughter for Christ's sake not a terrorist, just get in there and let your conscience be your guide"

"Well thank you Jiminy Cricket, any other words of wisdom before you go?" she asked sarcastically

"Why don't you just try listening, You have to admit that she's had a rather large shock finding out who you really are, so answer what you can, and fluff over the rest and you'll be fine"

"You won't be long?"

"No" he said quietly as he leaned in and gently kissed her "I won't be long"

M waited until she heard the front door shut before she turned and nervously knocked on the bedroom door as she opened it slightly

"Joanna? May I come in?"

"Of course Mum...what a silly question" replied Joanna

"It must seem strange being in your old room"

"I have to admit it's been a long time"

"So..." M started to say hesitantly

"He seems nice" said Joanna, trying to to break the awkward silence

"Who? Oh James...right, yes he is"

"But isn't he a bit young?"

"That's what I keep telling him, but it doesn't seem to matter to him, why does it bother you?"

"No, I just don't want to see you get hurt is all, you know how men are" she said with a sincere smile

"I can assure you that hurting me is the last thing he would do"

"How can you be so sure?"

"After everything we've been through lately he still wants to marry me"

"Marry you?"

"Well don't look so surprised..." she snapped

"I'm sorry Mum, I didn't mean it that way. I can tell he cares about you, I just didn't realize that it was that serious"

"Well it is, and I'm going to marry him with or without your blessing, I just hoped that you would approve" she replied quietly

"As long as he makes you happy then I'm happy" she said as she leaned over and gave her Mother a quick awkward hug "Have you told Paul yet?"

"Err...well no"

"Best to let me talk to the little bugger first, you know how he can be" she said in a half joking, half-serious tone

"He's never really forgiven me for ruining his childhood"

"Well he didn't know the WHOLE story, I'm sure that once he knows..."

"You can tell him!" replied M sternly "The only reason you know is because of your position with MI5, and unless he has a similar job..."

"Point taken, I will find a way around that little tid- bit of information and make him see sense and then if he is still being a complete ass, I'll just..."

"You'll just what?"

"Do what I've always done, either guilt him into acceptance or pound the crap out of him" she said with a sweet and yet mischievous smile

Once they had gotten through the initial awkwardness, M and Joanna found that they really did have a lot in common and were certainly not at a loss for topics of conversation. They were just finishing lunch when James returned from his errands.

"I'm glad to see that you two have finally found some common ground" he said as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen

"And just how long have you been eavesdropping?" asked Joanna "You know, that's not very polite" she said with a grin

"It's my job" he said with a shrug as we walked over and wrapped his arms around M and gave her a quick kiss "I see you've decided on forgoing getting dressed today" he said with a laugh

"Oh my god what time is it?"

"Just past 1:00"

"Excuse me while I go up and shower and dress" she said with a slight blush

"Hey, this is what I meant by taking it easy and relaxing. If you don't feel like getting dressed then don't. I like you no matter what you're wearing" he said as he pulled her close and kissed her forehead

"I'll be right back" she said slipping out of his arms and rushing up the stairs

"She isn't comfortable unless she's in a suit" replied Joanna with a laugh

"Yeah, I know, but I'm hoping to change that someday" he replied "So what did you two find to talk about while I was gone?" he asked curiously

"Oh this and that, but mostly...You"

"I see. I take it then that you don't approve"

"I didn't say that"

"Then what are you saying?"

"If you intend to marry my Mother than I want you to understand one thing. I like you, I really do, but if you ever hurt my Mother I know about a thousand different ways to kill you and I'll get away with it because I know how" she said bluntly

"Well as long as we are issuing ultimatums then I have a few of my own" he said motioning for her to sit

"Alright, fire away, what are your demands" she asked as she narrowed her eyes

"First, I will not tolerate long absences. Your presence will be required no less than three times a year. Christmas, Mother's Day and M's birthday, Secondly, we expect to hear from you at least once a week, no exceptions, Third, this was, is and always be your home and you are to visit as often and as long as you like, fourth, you do not have to call me Dad, James will suffice, fifth..."

"Alright, I get the picture" she said with a laugh "You really do love her don't you?"

"More than life itself" he replied

"In that case you have my blessing" she said as she rose and gave him a light kiss on the cheek "You do realize that you still have to deal with my brother, and he is not as accepting as I am"

"Most sons usually aren't when it comes to their Mothers"

"Well Paul isn't like most sons. He has a lot of anger and resentment. Let me talk to him first, it may make things a bit easier" she said dryly

"I'll leave it to you then since you know him best"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	40. Chapter 40 Chapter 40

**For RebaForever15 and ForeverMBond and everyone else who has been kind enough to read. Only 2 chapters left. :) Thanks for hanging with me :)**

When Joanna was finally able to reach her brother Paul, she was pleasantly surprised to find that he was actually in London or rather Surry, which was not that far away. She had originally decided to just tell him about their Mother and James, but Paul, being the self-absorbed little twit that he was would not let her get a word in edge wise so she finally agreed to meet him at a small cafe just around the corner. As she waited for her brother, Joanna debated the best way to approach the topic of their Mother. Paul had a lot of resentment and their last conversation about her ended with him asking only to be notified if she happened to die. As she heard the bell on the door ring, she looked up to see a man in his late 30's with sandy blond hair and a scruffy beard approaching her.

"Hey Sis, what brings you to town?" he asked as he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek

"Do I need a special reason to come and see my little brother?"

"No, but you usually call first" he replied with a laugh "But seriously, what brings you all the way across the pond?"

"Well...It's Mum" she said cautiously

"Really? What's she gone and done this time? She didn't die did she?...because I told you that..."

"No...No it's nothing like that exactly" she said nervously "She wants to see you"

"Good for her, well you can tell her that when my schedule allows it I will try to find time to fit her in" he said sarcastically

"Paul, she really wants to see you and the least you could do is..."

"Where the hell was she when I really wanted to see her!" he said angrily "I'll tell you where, she was working. Her bloody job was more important to her than we were!"

"Paul, I know how it seemed at the time, but that wasn't the case at all, If you would just let me explain" she replied

"It's too late for explanations. If she wasn't working then she was in the hospital for some mysterious condition. Dad was the only one who really cared about us."

"That isn't true Paul. Mum loved us, it's just that her job..."

"Yeah I know. She had responsibilities blah blah blah...I've heard it all before so you can just save your breath"

"It might interest you to know that I know what the mysterious condition was" she said, hoping to peak his interest

"Alright, dazzle me with your detective work. What was it? The Plague? Typhoid? Some contagious flesh eating disease?"

"No! She had been shot, several times I might add, and she nearly died!"

"Is that what she told you? Who in their right mind would shoot a secretary?"

"No one, but they would shoot an undercover agent for MI6" she said bluntly

"What are you talking about? Mum was a secretary...right?"

"No love, she wasn't. She kept her distance to protect us, and now she really needs us, so would you at least consider seeing her?"

Paul sat there with a stunned look on his face for a few minutes.

"I can't believe you fell for this" he finally said

"Would it help if I let you talk to someone who could prove what I'm saying is true?"

"Yeah, alright. You find me proof and I'll consider seeing her"

"I'll be right back" she said as she got up to make a call "Stay put!"

Joanna quickly took out her phone and dialed her mother. She decided that there was not time like the present, and it was best to get this settled before Paul changed his mind.

"Hello Mum, may I speak to James for a minute" she said

"Of course darling, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just need his help with something" she replied mysteriously

M didn't press for any more answers and handed the phone to James, mouthing Joanna's name so he would know who was on the phone.

"Hello Joanna, what can I do for you?"

"I seem to have gotten myself in a bit of a jam with Paul and I need your help. Would it be possible for you to meet me at the cafe around the corner?"

"Sure, when?"

"How about now?"

"What's the rush, if I may ask?"

"I sort of told him more than I should have about Mum, and he wants proof that it isn't all a lie, and since you can provide the proof as well as meeting him, I thought it would be nice to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak"

"What exactly did you say?"

"I let it slip about what she used to do, I didn't tell him about her current position, but Paul, being Paul wants some sort of proof so..."

"Alright, I'll be right there" he said hanging up and handing the phone back to M

"Is everything alright?" she asked with a worried expression

"I'll let you know. I'm going to meet Joanna" he said grabbing his jacket

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. It's best you stay here." he said pulling her close and giving her a soft kiss

"What's this all about?" she asked with a faint hint of her usual boss tone

"Well, if you must know, it's about your son"

"Paul...is he alright?"

"He's fine, just stubborn, like his Mother" he said with a smile as he disappeared out the door.

It only took James a few minutes to walk to the Cafe where he immediately spotted Joanna at a corner table with a younger man.

"James" she said with a bit of relief "Thank you for coming"

"Who's he? One of Mum's minions?"

"Paul, don't be rude!" she snapped "This is James. James this is my brother Paul"

"Nice to meet you Paul" said James cautiously "Why don't we go across the street to the park where we will have a little more privacy" he said

Joanna paid their bill as James and Paul patiently waited outside. The three of them walked across the street in silence and found a secluded bench.

"So what is it you want to know about your Mother?" asked James bluntly

"You don't believe in wasting any time do you?" snapped Paul

"It's not that, it's just that I believe in getting things out in the open"

"Alright then, Joanna seems to be under the impression that my Mother was an undercover agent for MI6. I know how ridiculous that sounds, but..."

"It isn't ridiculous at all because it's true" he replied flatly

"That's insane"

"Maybe so, but it's the Gods honest truth." replied James in a serious tone

"And you know this because...?

"Because I work for her, and I've been on several missions with her, and I love her"

"What do you mean you work for her? And what's this about loving her? She has a heart of ice! She doesn't love anything but her job!"

"Joanna, would you give us a moment alone?" said James in a serious tone "It's time your Brother knows the whole truth and better it come from me than you, Your Mother won't be quite as angry if I tell him"

Joanna got up and walked away hesitantly as James sat down.

"Paul, there are some things about your Mother you should know, and I am putting my job, as well as hers, on the line by telling you this so please pay attention as I will only say it once. Your Mother was one of the best agents MI6 ever had and it only because she was nearly killed that she stopped being an agent and took a desk job"

"Right" replied Paul sarcastically

"She moved up the ladder at MI6, but by doing so her job became more and more complicated..."

"Yeah, being the executive secretary to the "BIG" boss is really a good excuse for ignoring your children" snapped Paul

"I don't think you understand. She isn't the secretary to the "Big" boss as you put it...she IS the "BIG" boss"

"You're telling me that my Mother is the HEAD of MI6?"

"That's right, and I work for her. My official title is Commander James Bond or 007 whichever you prefer"

"And what does the 007 stand for?"

"License to kill...on her orders"

"So  
you're telling me that my Mother runs the government hit squad?"

"In a nutshell...yes, but that's not all. Recently, a man from her past came after her and tried to kill her, and it was my job to keep her safe, and believe me that wasn't easy, but she's home now and she's recovering"

"Someone tried to kill Mum?" replied Paul with a sudden hint of concern in his voice

"Yes. Look, she loves you and your sister more than anything, and keeping her distance from you has been the hardest thing she has ever had to do, but it was only to protect you"

"And just how do you fit into all this?"

"Well, somewhere along the way, I fell in love with her, and right now she's going to need all of us to get through this...so what do you say? Will you at least give her a chance?"

"How do I know that you're not just stringing me along?" asked Paul suspiciously

"Do you want to see my scars? I'll be happy to show you"

"I...No that won't be necessary." said Paul quietly

"There's just one more thing. I love your Mother more than anything and I am going to marry her. It would be nice if you would give her your blessing"

"I think I would really like to see my Mother before I give you my answer" he replied, still sounding a bit stunned

"Of course, but Paul, you cannot tell her that I told you about her current position. You can't tell anyone for that matter" warned James

"Don't worry. No one would believe me anyway"

"Right then. You know the way. I'll wait at the cafe with Joanna. Just call us when you are ready for us to come home" said James as the two of them crossed the park to meet Joanna.

"Where's he going? she asked as Paul headed off toward M's flat

"Home"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	41. Chapter 41 Chapter 41

**Almost done. One more chapter :)**

M was nearly beside herself as she paced around her sitting room. "What on earth could have happened with Paul to make Joanna to call James for help" she sputtered "Well at least she is comfortable enough with him to ask for his help" Just as she was about to sit down she heard the door bell and rushed to the hall. She hesitantly put her hand on the knob and opened the door to find Paul staring back at her.

"Paul" she said in a tone just barely above a whisper

"Mum. May I come in?" he said quietly

"Yes of course" she said motioning for him to enter

Paul stood in the foyer staring at her with an expression she couldn't quite pin down as she closed the door and held her breath. It had been nearly three years since she had seen him, and that meeting consisted of multiple arguments, several shouting matches and one loud door slamming in her face, and yet here he was standing in her flat of his own free will.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked cautiously

He nodded as he followed his Mother into the sitting room, watching suspiciously as she poured the drinks. As she moved toward the sofa, Paul took the drinks and placed them on the table as he turned to face her.

"My mother the spy" he said almost as though he couldn't believe he was actually saying it

"What?...who told you that?"

"Would you believe my sister and some knob called James or 007 as you call him "

"Paul...I can explain"

"Save it, they've already explained it, I just want to hear it from you" he said with a rather hurt expression

"It isn't that I didn't want to tell you.."

"Did he really try to kill you?" asked Paul abruptly changing the subject

"Who?"

"That man that James was protecting you from?"

"Just how much did your sister and James tell you?" asked M in a slightly demanding tone

"Oh Mum" he said pulling her to him and holding her tightly "There were so many times I wished you were dead, but I really didn't mean it." he said with a crack in his voice

"I know darling" she said in a soothing tone as she wrapped her arms around him and held him. "I know I wasn't the perfect Mother..."

"But that's just it." he pulled back with a look of surprise "You WERE the perfect mother, I just didn't know it. Do you know how many kids dream of having a spy for a parent? Here I thought I had a crap childhood when all the time I was the luckiest kid on the planet and I didn't even know it!"

"You didn't seem to think so at the time" replied M with a laugh

"Well that was before I knew what it is that you actually do!"

"Listen Paul...about that..."

"Yeah, I know. I cannot tell anyone, not that anyone would believe me anyway. My Mum, the head of the government hit squad" he said shaking his head

"And just who told you about that?" she said sternly, the smile quickly disappearing from her face

"James. He thought it was best to get everything out in the open"

"Oh did he now!" she said arching her eyebrow "And what else did my agent tell you?"

"That he loves you and he wants to marry you"

"We'll see if he still feels that way when I get through with him" she snapped "What was he thinking and for that matter what was your sister thinking. I specifically told her not to..."

"Mum" said Paul as he put his arm around her "They were thinking about you and how much they love you. Look Jo and I are especially good at keeping secrets. I guess the apples didn't fall far from the tree in that respect, and James risked his job by telling me so go easy on him"

"Paul, you don't seem to be grasping the gravity of the situation here. It's not just his job he's put in jeopardy, but mine and your sisters as well"

"True, but aren't you the boss? Can't you fix this?"

"Where are they now?"

"They're just around the corner at the cafe waiting for me to call them"

"Well call them. It's time for a little family meeting about our situation"

Paul did as he was told and called Joanna and James. He could tell that M was mad by the way she stormed around the flat while they waited. He had learned early on that when she had worked herself up into this kind of state, it was best to keep out of the line of fire, so he remained on the sofa and let her fume in silence. When the door opened, James and Joanna were met by one of M's famous death glares and the smiles quickly disappeared from their faces.

"I thought you told him not to tell her what we told him?" said James under his breath

"I did!" replied Joanna as she and James followed M into the sitting room

"M, let me explain..." started James

"Oh I think you've done quite enough explaining today!" she snapped "In fact you may have just explained the three of us right out of our jobs!"

"Mum, if you would just listen for a minute..." started Joanna before she was interrupted by M

"And you. What part of you CANNOT tell your brother did you not understand?"

"I was just trying to..."

"Joanna, why don't you and Paul go pick up something for dinner, preferably across town while I sort this out with your Mother" said James

"Great idea" said Joanna as she grabbed Paul by the arm and began dragging him toward the hall.

Joanna and Paul headed out the door, leaving James and M glaring at each other. As soon as the door shut M took a deep breath and was about to launch herself into one of her legendary rants when James suddenly crossed the room and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. M found herself involuntarily responding to the kiss, and when he finally released her, M was both breathless and a bit dizzy from the lack of air.

"Don't think for one second that you can kiss your way out of this," she said sternly as she leaned against him for balance

"I wasn't planning on stopping at kissing" he said mischievously as he held her close

"James, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking" he said as he began to place soft kisses on her face "That they are your children, and if we are to be a real family then there can't be so many secrets"

"But you of all people..."

"I know, but I love you M" he said as he began maneuvering her toward the stairs "They are YOUR children after all, so God knows they know how to keep secrets. As far as Paul is concerned, after the novelty has worn off, things should go back to the way they were, only now he doesn't hate you and he just may visit a little more often. And as far as Joanna is concerned, being that she works for MI5, she won't go boasting about her Mother being the head of MI6 as it could very well harm her own career, besides who in their right mind wants to live in the shadow of their mother"

"You really are impossible you know that, but how can you be so sure that things will all work out?" asked M as she stopped at the foot of the stairs

"Because believe it or not, they really do love you" he replied as he began kissing her neck "And after having your life explained to them, albeit the abbreviated version, there isn't anything they wouldn't do to protect you."

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck

"Karma" he replied, giving her a gentle kiss "Sooner or later it was bound to catch up with you and find that you have been sorely lacking in the happiness department. Now if you play your cards right, we have just enough time to go upstairs before the kids get back" he said with a slightly wicked grin as he began to unbuttoning her blouse "Or, we can lay the table and discuss just exactly when it is that we intend to be married"

"As much as I love your first suggestion, I think the latter would be more appropriate as my children have always appeared to have a terrible sense of timing" she replied with a laugh "I take it you have some special date in mind?"

"As a matter of fact I do" he said as he put his arm around her and escorted her to the kitchen

"And just when were you thinking?" she asked curiously

"How about the day after tomorrow?"

"You can't be serious?"

"Why not. Your children are here, I'm here, and all appears to be right with the world at the moment so why wait?"

"You really still want to do this?" she replied as tears began to form in her eyes

"More than anything in the world" he said as he leaned down and captured her lips in a deep passionate kiss.

James and M were so preoccupied with canoodling in the kitchen they failed to hear the front door open and were both startled and somewhat embarrassed when Joanna loudly cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Judging by your rather compromising position, I assume that you two have made up" she said with a grin

"Oh Joanna, Paul...we didn't hear you come in" replied M as she turned toward the sink in an attempt to conceal her embarrassment

"Apparently not" said Paul with a smirk "You know you really should have locked the front door if you intended to take advantage of my Mother" he said as he put the food on the counter

"Actually it was a collaborative effort" replied James without batting an eye

"That's really more than I needed to know" retorted Paul

"Listen" said M as she began to unpack their dinner "As long as you are both hear, what are you doing day after tomorrow?"

"Why?...What did you have in mind?" asked Joanna curiously

"A little family outing" replied James as he put his arm protectively around M "Say to the Registrar's office"

"Really? Mum, James that's wonderful, but isn't a bit quick? I mean what about the license and..."

"Relax Sis. They work for the government. One wave of HER magic wand and all the usual red tape just disappears" replied Paul

"Well it's not quite as simple as that, but my position does come with a few perks, such as the ability to bypass certain rules and regulations that apply to the general public" said M with a wink

"Mr. Bond, Who is this woman, and what have you done with our Mother?. Under ordinary circumstances she would be all for following every asinine rule and regulation to the letter."

"I guess you could say that I'm a bad influence" replied James with a grin

"That being said, we have a lot to do in the next few hours" said M as she picked up her plate and headed toward the dining room with Joanna following close behind

"You do realize that we won't have a moments peace until you say I DO right?" said Paul with a deep sigh

"I know" replied James, as he leaned back against the counter with a wide smile

TO BE CONTINUED...


	42. Chapter 42 Chaptaer 42

**Ok I lied . One more chapter, not that I really thought anyone would mind an extra chapter :)**

As James glanced over at the nightstand the clock read 3:00 am, "Damn" he thought to himself as he rolled back over "It's only been fifteen minutes since the last time I looked". It had not been a particularly restful night thus far, with M continually tossing and turning and James checking the clock every fifteen minutes.

"Hey" she whispered "Are you awake?"

"Yes" he mumbled as he turned to face her "What seems to be on your mind?"

"What makes you think anything is on my mind?" she asked

"The fact that you seem to be flopping around like a fish out of water was my first clue" he said with a weak laugh "What's wrong?"

"How are we ever going to make this work?" she asked, propping herself up on one elbow so that she could see his face

"We're going to take it one day at a time" he replied softly as he reached up to trace her cheekbone

"But once we're married things will change, and there is no use denying it because it's true"

"So things will be a little different...change is good" he said pulling her to him "One thing that will not change is the fact that I love you"

"I love you too" she said as she snuggled closer

"Then how about closing your eyes and getting some sleep. We have an awfully big day ahead of us" he said kissing the top of her head

"I suppose you're right." she replied thru a yawn as she attempted to drift off to sleep

As the sun was just beginning to come up, James rolled over to find M peacefully curled up beside him. She looked so happy, she even had a slight smile on her face. He leaned over and gently placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Morning" he said quietly

"Already?" she said sleepily

"Yes" he replied kissing her again "I'm going for a shower, then down to start breakfast. Any special requests?"

"Only that you stay in bed" she said teasingly

"There will be plenty of time for that later" he said with a wink

Once he had showered and dressed, James headed downstairs only to find that Paul and Joanna were already up and preparing breakfast.

"What's all this?" he asked

"We thought you two could do with a lay in this morning so we are making breakfast for you" replied Joanna, slightly annoyed that James was up and dressed

"Thank you for the thought. I'm sure your Mother will love breakfast in bed. She didn't seem to sleep very well last night"

"Ewww...thanks for that mental image" said Paul

"That's not what I meant" replied James with a laugh "What time is it?"

"Just past 8:00" Said Joanna as she picked up the tray and headed toward the door

"I'll take it up to her. I have something I want to give her anyway" replied James as he took the tray and headed upstairs.

James found M still curled up in bed so he put the tray on the nightstand and leaned over to kiss her good morning again.

"That was fast" she said as she opened her eyes

"What was?"

"You just went down there so either you cook in your sleep, you have a magic wand or you had help with breakfast"

"Joanna and Paul already had breakfast ready" he said "They thought we could use a lay in today"

"Oh that was sweet of them" she said as she sat up

"I have something for you" he said rather mysteriously as he went and retrieved an envelope from his jacket, handing it to her

M took the envelope, read the contents, and then stared at James with a puzzled look on her face.

"What's this?" she asked

"I've been giving it some thought, and I'm going to say something that you're not going to like much, but please hear me out before you say anything" he said as he sat down beside her and put his arm around her.

"Ok" she replied in a suspicious tone

"You and I both know that eventually you will have to retire. Not because you can't do the job, but let's be honest, Mallory cannot keep you in this position forever. You should have retired a few years ago, but they somehow managed to keep you on, but there comes a point where enough is enough"

James could tell by the way her entire body tensed that she did not like the direction the conversation was heading.

"I've given it some thought, and I was thinking that..."

"You were thinking that I should just retire and get it over with and you would just go back to your job with me sitting at home twiddling my thumbs!" she snapped

"No!... and you said you would hear me out so shush" he said as he attempted to calm her down "I was thinking that I am really getting too old for this crap, and wouldn't it be nice if we sort of retired together?"

"What? and don't ever shush me" she said glaring at him

"I've spoken to Mallory about the possibility of taking a position as an instructor, and so far he seems receptive to the idea, so that leaves you. Hypothetically, how would you feel about me having the equivalent of a desk job?"

"But..."

"Look, I've given it a lot of thought, and to be honest, I don't really want to be half way around the world all the time..."

"But you love your job" she said quietly

"Yes, but I love you more, and if it means that we will both be safe, and we can be together, then I'll give it up right now"

"You've really given this a lot of thought haven't you?"

"I was thinking about it before all of this happened, but now, after nearly losing you for a second time, my mind is made up"

"Do you really think you could be happy with a desk job? Hypothetically speaking"

"I could be happy being a janitor if it means I get to come home to you every night" he replied as he gently kissed her forehead

"And just what do you plan for us to do with all of our free time?" she asked curiously

"We could always run that retirement home for spies" he said with a grin

"One retired spy in my life is quite enough thank you very much"

"Well whatever we do, we'll do it together"

"So you really want me to retire"

"It is entirely your decision, but as for me, my mind is made up. That envelope contains my official resignation. Now that doesn't mean that I couldn't be called back into active duty, but only as a consultant"

"Can you honestly see yourself as just a consultant?" she asked eyeing him suspiciously

"I think so" he replied confidently

"You've thought of everything haven't you?" she snapped

"Think of it as my wedding gift to you" he said as he leaned down and kissed her deeply

"Some wedding gift" she said breathlessly as she broke the kiss "You want to resign your post and you want me to retire"

"What I want is to spend the rest of my life with you and in my current position, that may or may not be a long time, so I'm changing the rules a bit...what's wrong with that?"

"You would honestly do that?"

"Yes"

"Can we at least discuss it?"

"We just did"

"No, you said you were speaking hypothetically"

"Hypothetically that you would accept it, not hypothetically that I wouldn't do it" he said in a somewhat serious tone

"Oh I see" she replied angrily as she pulled away from him "So it really didn't matter what I thought as you were going to do it anyway regardless of how I feel about the situation. This was just a courtesy discussion"

"M" he started as he gently pushed her back against the pillows and leaned over her "In less than five hours, you are going to be my wife..."

"Are we still speaking hypothetically?" she asked sarcastically

Seeing no end in sight to their current disagreement, James released her and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked

"It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding" he said as he walked out the door

M remained in bed pouting until she heard the front door close, and then tears began to stream down her cheeks. Joanna had heard the door as well and went to check on her mother.

"Mum...everything alright?"

"Its fine dear, just a spat" she replied, wiping the tears from her eyes

Joanna could tell by M's tone that things were definitely NOT fine and climbed into bed with her mother, wrapping her arms around her, pulling her close

"What was the spat about this time?"

"He wants us to retire" she said through her sniffles "And what do you mean this time?"

"Would it really be so bad to retire together?"

"I know it has to happen eventually, but I just didn't think we would be discussing it on our wedding day" she sniffed

"Where do you suppose he's gone?"

"I have no idea. Probably his flat" she said quietly

"Stay here Mum" she said as she climbed out of bed

"Now where are you going" asked M with a look of annoyance on her face

"To knock some sense into that errant bridegroom of yours" she said with a wink

Joanna didn't have far to go because as soon as she opened the door, she found James sitting on the steps.

"Fancy meeting you here" she said smugly

"Where are you off to?" he asked

"To find you"

"So she told you"

"She did"

"And you don't approve"

"I didn't say that. It's just that retirement is a big step, and she knows it will eventually happen, but why now?"

"Jo, I almost lost her...I can't go through that again..."

"You two are the most stubborn people on the planet you know that" she said sounding a bit irritated.

"So we've been told"

"Tell you what. Why don't you take Paul and go to your flat and get ready, and I'll stay with her and make sure she's at the registrar's office this afternoon" replied Joanna

"That's assuming she still wants to marry me"

"She loves you James. She'll be there, I promise" replied Joanna with a wink

TO BE CONTINUED...


	43. Chapter 43 Chapter 43

**Thank you to all who have read and reviewed and most of all hung with this story. I decided to skip ahead 2 months in this chapter because I promised a nice normal wedding. Hope you like it :)**

"Good Morning Mrs. Bond" whispered James as he leaned over and gently kissed her, happy two-month anniversary. It had been exactly two months since James and M said their official "I DO's" and he was loving every second of it.

M happily responded to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer

"Why do you insist on beginning every day with that phrase? It makes me sound like your mother"

"Because I love saying it as much as you love hearing it, and let's be honest, you DO love hearing it" he replied with a grin

"I do, as a matter of fact" she said with a laugh "But I have to admit, there were a few times when I wondered if I ever would" she replied with a hint of sadness

"Hey" he said wrapping his arms around her, holding her close "We made it. We're alive and best of all, we're finally married"

"Yes, a fact that doesn't seem to stop some people from sending you out on pointless mission after pointless mission" she replied with a slight edge in her voice

"They may be pointless missions, but at least I get to come home at night" he said nuzzling her neck

"A concession I happily agreed to, at your insistence, but be honest, are you really happy being a glorified babysitter all day?"

"According to Mr. Mallory, these pointless missions are designed to help me adjust to my new, less active role at MI6..."

"And is that really what you want?"

"I already have what I want" he replied with a crooked grin "A job, a home and a beautiful wife. What more could I ask for?" he said lightly kissing the top of her head "Now it's your turn. Better get up or you'll be late" he said as he got out of bed

"I've decided to stay in bed today" she replied, pulling the blankets up around her

"M, we've been over this. You have to get up"

"No, I don't!" she said flatly

"I thought we agreed..."

"We did, in theory, but...well...I've changed my mind. I don't want to and you can't make me" she replied in the best no-nonsense tone she could muster

"Sweetheart..." he began as he crawled back into bed next to her

"I just can't do it James. I know I said I would, but I can't and I won't, and you can't make me end of discussion!"

"What is it you're so afraid of?"

M hesitated as she began to fidget with the blankets.

"What will I do with myself all day while you're at work? And who will look after Eve and Bill? You know what they're like when I'm away, they always seem to get into some sort of trouble, and who..."

"They'll learn to manage" he said quietly as he continued to hold her

"I'm just not ready yet" she said with tears forming in her eyes

"Then don't" he replied

"What?"

"I said don't. If you're not ready, then there is no reason for you to retire right now. Nothing is official until you sign on the dotted line, so if you want to take some more time, then it's ok with me"

"But just a minute ago you..."

"It's your decision" he said kissing her on the forehead as he got out of bed "But you will have some very disappointed people who have gone to a lot of trouble arraigning your retirement party if you go announcing that you've changed your mind" he said as he disappeared into the bathroom

M thought about his last statement while she waited for him to reappear

"You really think I should do it don't you?"

"Like you said I can't make you, hell no one has ever been able to make you do anything you don't want to..."

M grumbled as she got out of bed

"I really hate it when you do that" she said as she walked into the bathroom

"What? All I did was state a fact"

"You always do this. You turn things around so I will think it's my decision, when in fact, it is really your decision and I just end up agreeing with you" she snapped

"You should be flattered, I learned that trick from you" he replied with a grin

"Not funny!" she replied as she poked her head around the corner

M took a quick shower, dressed and found James waiting for her in the kitchen

"All set?" he asked

"No" she snapped as she brushed past him to pour herself a cup of coffee

"It's going to be alright" he said as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to him

"James..." she said turning in his arms so she was facing him

"Olivia, everything will be fine, I promise"

A faint, sad smile played across her face as she leaned her head on his chest and pulled him close

"What's so funny?" he asked

"It just seems strange to hear you call me that. After today that is all I will be. Just Olivia Bond, no more M, not that it's a bad thing, but it will be quite an adjustment after all these years" she said as a tear slid down her cheek

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I no longer have my license to kill. I'm just plain old Commander Bond" he replied trying to make her feel better

"Yes, but it's different for you. You've always had your name and your reputation. Once I'm no longer M, what do I really have?"

"We could always be called back into Active Duty" he said with a wink

"You maybe, but just exactly how many M's do you recall being called "Back" into Active duty in recent years? Present company excluded" she asked not really expecting an answer

"Hey, I love you, and you will always be MY M, don't forget that" he said as he leaned down and kissed her

"And you will always be MY 007" she replied as she rested her forehead against his.

"So are you ready to go Mrs. Bond?"

"Ready as I'll ever be Mr. Bond"

~ FIN~


End file.
